Meredith Grelli
Assistant Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship | Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA, UNITED STATES
Meredith Grelli is dedicated to helping people navigate business development, no matter the stage.
Biography
Meredith is the Director of Project Olympus, a part of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. She is the Assistant Dean of Entrepreneurship Initiatives at Carnegie Mellon University and an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Tepper School of Business. She is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at Carnegie Mellon University's Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. She was awarded the 2023 Gerald Leland Bach Teaching Award, voted by MBA students. She founded and leads the Family Business Initiative at Carnegie Mellon, which brings together family business owners and entrepreneurs from various industries and geographies.
Meredith Meyer Grelli founded, led, and sold two craft beverage companies, Wigle Whiskey and Threadbare Cider & Mead. Wigle Whiskey was Pennsylvania’s first direct-to-consumer spirits company since Prohibition. She is a two-time James Beard Semi-Finalist for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, Beer Professional and was named 100 Women to Watch in the US by the Business Times. Meredith’s work helped to restore Pennsylvania’s legacy as the Birthplace of American Whiskey, as well as change the regulatory framework in which distilleries operate.
She has also founded, led and transitioned three non-profit organizations. In addition to her innovation and entrepreneurship, Meredith is an author, real estate developer, and seed investor with an unsinkable interest in community and economic development. She received her BS from the University of Chicago, studied cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and earned her MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.
Areas of Expertise (6)
Venture Capital
Entrepreneurship
Artificial Intelligence
Family Business Succession
Non-Profit Organizations
Spirits
Media Appearances (3)
Pittsburgh’s AI-Powered Renaissance
CMU News online
2024-10-09
"Pittsburgh’s long-standing legacy in robotics and AI research, particularly through institutions like CMU, has made the city a global leader in human-centric AI innovation. What sets Pittsburgh apart is its commitment to advancing AI technology in a way that addresses real human needs across industries. As we explore how AI can democratize entrepreneurship and transform the venture capital landscape, we must recognize the significant opportunity at hand during this AI revolution — an opportunity for Pittsburgh to reclaim its role as the nation's epicenter of entrepreneurship and startup investment, much like it was during the industrial revolution."
CMU AI & Robotics Venture Fair connects entrepreneurs with investors
Pittsburgh Business Times online
2024-09-26
The Pittsburgh startup ecosystem is reliant on outside investment — only 2% of investment came from inside the region last year.
Six Ways Peer Advising Empowers Entrepreneurs
Tepper School of Business online
2024-09-18
Peer advising doesn’t just support entrepreneurs—it transforms their path to success. Learn six ways these groups drive growth, collaboration, and innovation.
Spotlight
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Accomplishments (5)
Gerald Leland Bach Teaching Award (professional)
2023
James Beard Foundation Semi-Finalist, Outstanding Alcohol Producer (professional)
2018, 2019
Tepper School of Business Alumni Award (professional)
2017
Tepper Women in Business Alumna of the Year
2016
100 Women to Watch in the US, Business Times (professional)
2016
Education (2)
Carnegie Mellon University: M.B.A., Entrepreneurship & Marketing
University of Chicago: B.A., Geography & History
Links (1)
Event Appearances (1)
Moderator: Disrupting the Startup: How AI Will Democratize Entrepreneurship and Shift the VC Landscape
AI Horizons Pittsburgh Summit Pittsburgh, PA
2024-10-14
Articles (1)
Brownfields and Environmental Justice: Income, Education, and Race
Environmental Justice2011 Brownfields are parcels of chemically contaminated land that are not redeveloped due to the expense of cleanup. Correcting any environmental injustice associated with brownfields can involve redevelopment efforts that account for economic disparities. Here we show that economic conditions in communities with brownfields that have received funding from the United States government are significantly worse than in the nation as a whole. These results suggest that there is an opportunity to right this environmental injustice by choosing to remediate brownfields in economically depressed areas in ways that address both environmental risk and the economic health of communities with brownfields.
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