Carnegie Mellon University
July 21, 2022

Appetite for Learning

By Amanda S.F. Hartle

When alumnus Cliff Sharples transferred to Carnegie Mellon University, he immediately noticed that something crucial was missing on campus: A student-run pub where the Tartan community could connect over bites and beverages.

The idea for Scotland Yard was born — and with it, a life and career that has melded entrepreneurship, technology and the power of food.

“It was my first opportunity to take on a big entrepreneurial role,” says Cliff, who graduated in 1986 from Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences with a degree in information systems. “I helped build [Scotland Yard] in my junior year and ran it in my senior year. We made all the decisions, put the whole thing together and hired a manager. It really set me on a path.”

His path — with stops at Garden.com, HomeAway, Cheezburger, Dig the Dirt and many more — has led to becoming founder and co-CEO of Fexy, a digital food platform that connects home cooks to grocers, brands and recipe publishers, and executive producer of “Roadfood: Discovering America One Dish at a Time,” available on PBS and Amazon Prime Video.

“I’m at the intersection of creativity and technology,” Cliff says. “I’ve ended up being the person that Dietrich College tries to shape.” 

Read how Sharples has put his passion to action