Daniel S. Scharff ‘04: “Being a Delt at Kenyon changed my life for the better.”

We recently reached out to Daniel S. Scharff ‘04 ([email protected]) about his experiences at DTD Kenyon as well as where he is at now. Daniel currently works as the CEO of Machu Picchu Energy and founded Startup CPG. Here is what he had to say: 

Being a Delt at Kenyon changed my life for the better. I’d grown up in a house with no brothers, and now had many. We lived together, ate together, played stickball together, and gleefully talked trash for hours while playing NBA Hangtime or Mario Kart. And when it came time to figure out life post-Kenyon, I leaned on my brothers a lot to find out how to apply for internships and jobs in the business world.  

I’m the CEO of Machu Picchu Energy – we launched our craft organic energy drinks in May ’22 with an aim to bring the best quality and best tasting drinks in a very exciting and fast growth segment. We’re a Do-Good business, working hard to help kids in underserved communities – we sponsor NGOs in Latin America that help kids in the slums, and we teach an entrepreneurship simulator in US public schools where kids learn to launch their own beverage company. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and can’t wait to scale over the next few years. Thinking back to my time at Kenyon, the writing and critical thinking skills underscored in every class have served me well.  

I’m also the founder of Startup CPG, which is the national community for all emerging food & beverage brands. We provide free resources, community, and support for all the young businesses working toward a better food system.