Co-founder of Edible Cricket Energy Bar Company to Give Feb 24 Lecture at MSU
Patrick Crowley, the co-founder of Chapul, a company that produces energy bars made
with edible crickets, will serve as the Montana State University Jake Jabs College
of Business and Entrepreneurship’s spring Entrepreneur-In-Residence. Crowley will
also give a free public lecture at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Reid Hall 108 on
the MSU campus.
Crowley’s presentation, "Bringing Insects to Market: How Chapul created an entirely
new food category," will cover his journey from “water geek” to entrepreneur, including
how he raised start-up funds on Kickstarter.com and through “Shark Tank,” the popular
reality television show where entrepreneurs pitch their products to a panel of investors.
He is also expected to discuss his passion for creating a sustainable water solution
through his products.
As Entrepreneur-In-Residence for the week of Feb. 23, Crowley will also visit business
classes and meet with students in the college’s entrepreneurship program. In addition,
Crowley will be the featured speaker at 1 p.m. during MSU’s 27th annual Bug Buffet, set for noon-4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, in MSU’s Plant Growth Center.
The buffet, which is sponsored by several entities including the Jake Jabs College
of Business and Entrepreneurship, is an exploration of edible insects as a source
of nutrition for global food security and includes tastings and informational posters.
Crowley's career path has taken him from surf guide and whitewater rafting guide to
hydrologist and entrepreneur. All positions, he said, have been driven by his passion
to ensure a more sustainable water future.
Crowley’s concern for the future of water in the U.S. grew as he spent a year hitchhiking
through Mexico and Central America, he said. During those travels, he observed a disproportionate
rate of water consumption versus water availability. Crowley returned to the U.S.
and earned a master’s degree in watershed hydrology, which he said he intended to
use to solve global water dilemmas.
Crowley began this work with a focus on agricultural water conservation and then decided
to address the issue from a consumer standpoint. He co-founded Chapul, which is based
in Salt Lake City, in 2012. In 2014, he appeared on “Shark Tank” and inked a $50,000
deal. He now calls it his mission to introduce insects into Western cuisine as a more
water-resource efficient form of food, and he intends to create consumer demand that
will drive agricultural changes for a more sustainable food system.
For more information on the lecture or the Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, contact
Scott Bryant at bryant@montana.edu or 994-6191. More information about the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship
is available at www.montana.edu/business.
