The first of its kind in Hong Kong, HKUST’s Dual Degree Program in Technology & Management (T&M-DDP), which provides a world-class interdisciplinary undergraduate education integrating technology and business knowledge, has been the origin of many motivational startup stories. Adrian NG (BEng in Mechanical Engineering and BBA in General Business Management, Class of 2017), who also accomplished a first in our city by co-founding Hong Kong’s one and only craft soda brewery Mezzanine Makers, counts among them.
 

The initial taste of success came straight out of school for Adrian, who was the only mechanical engineering graduate hired by MTR as graduate engineer in 2017. Even though he wasn’t top of his T&M-DDP class, Adrian stood out from the crowd in the interview rounds with the ability to get his ideas across—a competitive edge he credits his academic training for helping him master.

His talent for marrying the best of both worlds – business savviness and technological dexterity – propelled Adrian to further success at MTR as the class representative of its graduate engineering program and subsequently rolling stock support engineer. “Seizing leadership opportunities, from managing the team’s budget to presenting in front of government officials at the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, laid the groundwork for running my startup,” he said.

Four years into his job at MTR, it became abundantly clear to Adrian his yearning for a path that can empower him to realize his budding identity and develop products he can proudly call his own. Forgoing job stability and career linearity, he took the startup plunge in late 2021 with his business partner and best friend, a fellow HKUST mechanical engineering graduate, by co-founding Mezzanine Makers which introduced Hong Kong to the sober curious culture from the US. The craft soda brewery satisfied a niche in the city, which brimmed with craft beer factories then.  

With the management know-how he gained from his BBA, Adrian oversees the business side of things while his partner manages production. At first, the duo manufactured craft soda for other companies to secure a foothold in the local market. Soon afterwards they launched their own craft soda brand and had since joined forces with international chains such as Pret a Manger and PizzaExpress.

Having tackled head on daunting challenges from the pandemic to the post-Covid dining recession, the unfazed duo is now branching out into exporting, with Mezzanine Makers’ labours of love stocked in prominent overseas markets including the US and Australia. Although Adrian and his partner are setting their sights on global conquest, their factory will continue to be based in our city for the plethora of ingredients available here, and the faith people around the world place in the Hong Kong brand. Co-launching a hand-shake kombucha shop in Hong Kong with another company is in the pipeline, with the brewery as production and research and development (R&D) partner.

“My tech-business acumen is on display in Mezzanine Makers’ endeavors on the production and R&D front, which entail creating a wide array of flavors to cater to customers’ tastes and needs across the spectrum, and the narratives to convey a brand’s story, whether they are our own or our collaborators’,” said Adrian.

When it comes to navigating the territory between make or break for startups, Adrian thinks you can’t lose by keeping an open mind, “My dual degree helped unleash my open-mindedness and taught me the importance of listening to various viewpoints through interaction with students across disciplines, who maybe wired differently from me.”

This quality is reflected in the approximately 400 craft soda flavors he has co-created since Mezzanine Makers’ inception. “The many feasibilities represented by craft soda make it possible for us to work together with various specialists,” he said. “From coffee makers to beer brewers, I can find a way to collaborate with them well and serve as the connector in the world of drinks.”

As AI keeps reinventing the rules of the game, the knack to connect the dots might just be how we can carve our own lane and find our unique flavors like Adrian.