In Memoriam: BevNET Chairman Jack Craven

Editor’s Note:

It’s with great sadness that we’re writing to note the passing of Jack Craven, the Chairman of BevNET, father of our CEO and founder, John Craven, and father-in-law to our COO, Carolyn Craven.

Jack died earlier this month after a brief illness. At just 74, he was taken far too soon, both for his family and for this company.

Jack embraced and partnered in John’s unconventional idea: that a love of beverages, a gift for online media and an entrepreneurial spirit could develop into the successful CPG trade platform it is today.

As a publishing executive specializing in finance at companies like American Media, Inc., Time/Warner, Jobson Publishing, and Lear’s magazine, Jack brought his own formidable experience in media to BevNET.

As an early investor, advisor, and voice of experience at BevNET, Jack contributed mightily. The early BevNET team had the pleasure of sharing meals and jokes with Jack during our Harvard Square years, when he was a frequent visitor looking through our receivables for any missed “loot.”

As we grew into a larger company, Jack’s day-to-day role within BevNET gradually waned, but he remained an enthusiastic and beloved member of the team. He was a frequent attendee at BevNET, Nosh, and Brewbound events in both New York and Los Angeles, happy to shake the hands of his old friends while also meeting the new team members. We will all miss him terribly: his generosity of spirit, his good humor, and most of all, his obvious pride in what his son had built.