MALVERN, Pa. — Penn State Great Valley alumnus Troy Beane was recognized in November by “The Philadelphia Business Journal” as one of 16 Veterans in Business honorees, a program that recognizes veterans who have made an impact on the business community in greater Philadelphia.
A graduate of Great Valley’s master of leadership development (MLD) program, Beane served in the United States Air Force and United States Army for 21 years and retired from the Pennsylvania National Guard as a major. In 2022, Beane left his position as a minority owner and chief operating officer of Greencastle Consulting to start his own business, Veteran Executive Leadership, which helps veterans with entrepreneurial aspirations.
Earning the recognition from the Business Journal, especially so soon after launching his company, was "fantastic," Beane said, particularly because of his deep connections to the local veteran community. He said he knew many of the other honorees and had received overwhelming support from them and many other veterans last year when he decided to start his own business.
“To see all of that support coming out once I struck out on my own, it’s humbling,” Beane said. “When I went out on my own, the outpouring of support and connection was inspiring. I know that I’m on the right path by helping to continue to do those things.”
Beane’s decision to attend Penn State Great Valley was made in part because of a fellow veteran. Retired Army Maj. Gen. John Gronski earned his MBA from Great Valley in 2003; while Beane was considering graduate school, he worked for Gronski at Greencastle and had worked for him while both were serving in the Army.
Based on Gronski’s praise for the school and strong leadership abilities, Beane decided to follow in his mentor’s footsteps and attend Great Valley.
Everything Beane learned in the MLD program paid off immediately while he was working at Greencastle, he said. He helped develop the business from a smaller lifestyle business to a growing and expanding mid-size firm.
“When I joined Greencastle, there were roughly 10 of us, and when I left, it was 100,” Beane said. “We had tremendous growth and success, earning recognition and positions on the Inc.5000 for multiple consecutive years, among other notable awards. What I learned about full-range leadership development and overall transformational leadership theory helped me scale the company. I attribute the knowledge that I gained at Penn State to facilitate that.”
Beane’s MLD degree has also been invaluable for Veteran Executive Leadership. While he always had an entrepreneurial spirit, the emphasis Great Valley placed on entrepreneurship through the program helped encourage Beane to forge his own path.
“The culminating course in the MLD was on social entrepreneurship and I built my company around that concept,” Beane said. “The exposure that I received to different types of behavioral assessment models, systems design, social entrepreneurship, all those things, I still leverage now in my new business.”