Many people do not know what they want to be when they grow up. For Kent State University alumna Reilly Berk, the answer came early.
“It was nice for me knowing what I wanted to do at such a young age,” Berk told The Business Journal, which recently featured her and her family business.
Berk serves as CEO of Berk Enterprises, an achievement she reached before the age of 30.
Based in Warren, Ohio, Berk Enterprises was founded by Berk’s grandfather in 1946. The company has three divisions: Berk Concession Supply, which supplies custom-designed souvenir cups, paper plates and other foodservice products to the amusement industry; Berkley Square, which sells disposable cutlery; and Environ, which provides environmentally friendly cutlery, plates, cups and more.
Berk graduated from Kent State in 2020 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. She continued her education at Cleveland State University and earned a Master of Business Administration. In July 2022, Berk took over Berk Enterprises, becoming a third-generation CEO.
Berk told The Business Journal that becoming the CEO of her family’s company was always her dream, but she did not think it would happen at such a young age.
During school breaks, Berk worked at the business and had internships throughout her college career.
“When somebody has that kind of enthusiasm and that much commitment, it just made for the perfect time to make it happen,” said Robert Berk, Reilly’s father and president of Berk Enterprise.
Read more about Berk’s story from The Business Journal.
Top Photo Caption:
Kent State University alumnus and Berk Enterprises CEO Reilly Berk holds one of her company's products, a paper plate for the amusement industry. (Photo credit: The Business Journal)