Wesley Sprecher hasn’t cloned himself. It just seems like it.

The 2018 Florida Gulf Coast University graduate co-founded Swamp Cat Brewing Co., a Fort Myers microbrewery that originated from the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program at FGCU. The brewery brings Southwest Florida culture to life through community-first brand storytelling and innovative product development.

Sprecher, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics, is also president of Blue Water Components Inc., where he leverages his experience in supply chain management and distribution in the electronics manufacturing services industry.

But the Eagle entrepreneur’s influence stretches across the region. He serves as director of community engagement for the SWFL Tech board, advises the SWFL Business Alliance and acts as a technology subject matter expert for the due diligence subcommittee at Tamiami Angel Funds. He also mentors and speaks for the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program.

Oh, and in his “spare time,” he creates rap music and paints under the pseudonym Big Smooth.

How does he manage it all?

“Before I allow myself to get involved in anything, I ask myself three questions: ‘Can I add value? Can I retain value? Will I have fun?’ If the answer is ‘yes’ to those three questions, I find it worth my investment of time. I was raised by my grandmother, who was a Depression baby who never passed the eighth grade but impacted thousands of people,” he says.

“I believe my purpose in life is to help the people that make the world move forward, move forward by empowering them with my business acumen and communication skill set. We only get a few years on planet Earth, and I’ve found greatness rarely exists in a vacuum. What’s behind my ambition to serve is the hope that I can inspire others to be of service like my grandmother inspired me. We’re social animals designed to interact and learn. Being aware of this creates a responsibility in leadership.”

Sharing knowledge to empower others

While some people might keep their success strategies to themselves — unless they are profiting from them through publishing or speaking engagements —  Sprecher is altruistically motivated. He believes his purpose in life is to learn as much as possible and share it before he’s gone.

“Withholding knowledge is a tea leaf of mistrust. With the division in our world, we all have a role to play in sharing knowledge,” he says.

“I think advocating for the success of others is a critical part of growth. At Swamp Cat, we say, ‘All boats rise with the tide,’ because it’s true. The world is big enough for more than one group of humans to succeed.

“One of my favorite quotes from Seneca is ‘Ars longa, vita brevis,’ which is Latin for ‘Art is long, life is short.’ My point of view is that my life is a piece of art for God to be proud of and other humans to connect with and learn from.”

When Sprecher arrived at FGCU in 2014, he viewed Southwest Florida as a region on the cusp of transformation, ready for leaders to close gaps in understanding and thereby elevate the region’s presence and prominence. He took that vision and ran with it.

“FGCU is an incredibly intrapreneurial university: If you have a good idea and the work ethic to materialize that vision, you will be hard-pressed to find unmovable barriers,” he says. “I had the privilege of great mentors outside of the university coaching me into the workforce and noticed the knowledge gap amongst my peers.”

So, he teamed up with a former faculty member, Amy Scott, to build a program helping students prepare for and secure job interviews.

“This taught me how to create something from nothing to fill a capability gap. I’ve spent my career bridging that gap ever since,” he says.

Bringing FGCU musicians to the community

Four years after graduating, Sprecher was diagnosed with a form of bipolar disorder marked by cycles of deep depression and intense mania. The diagnosis forced him to reevaluate who he was, what he stood for and what he wanted to do with his life. Around that time, he partnered with Chris Gutierrez — a U.S. Navy veteran he met when they worked at Gartner in Fort Myers — to form Swamp Cat. The craft brewery opened last March.

FGCU remains woven into his story. Sprecher recently collaborated with Brandon Robertson, director of jazz studies at the Bower School of Music & the Arts, and the FGCU Jazz Combo to bring the university’s musical talent to the Southwest Florida community. Starting in September, Swamp Cat will host a jazz brunch every Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

“Swamp Cat is where my heart lives,” he says. “Blue Water is where my mind thrives.”

And he’s not finished creating.

Sprecher is considering launching an advanced printed circuit board manufacturing plant in Southwest Florida, inspired by an invitation to Capitol Hill to lobby for the domestic electronics manufacturing industry.

“I had no idea I’d wind up owning a microbrewery and electronics distribution company in my 20s,” he says, “but discovery is the fun of entrepreneurship.”