Chane Rennie, C’10

Chane Rennie, C'10
Strategist
72andSunny
Major: Psychology

Chane Rennie, C’10, came to Sewanee with plans to be a psychology major. When he took an Organizational Psychology class, he learned how the topic could be broadly applied to a corporate atmosphere. That’s when Chane decided to minor in business.

“I didn’t want to be isolated as a researcher,” Chane says. “I wanted to apply psychology to a fast-paced, actionable world.”

Chane now works in New York with a company called 72andSunny. His title is Strategist, but the best way to describe what he does is by using the term "creative problem solving." The company uses creativity, in any form, to further a client's business and vision.

“I’ve learned to help clients express what they want and combine it with what the creatives want to do,” Chane says. “I have to take quirky ideas and frame them logically to clients while also translating business jargon into human truth.”

Chane directs creative projects, juggles all types of communication styles, and pushes the envelope by promoting never-been-done-before ideas. He thinks scientifically without using equations and considers his “mile wide” education to be invaluable. 

“You can’t bring weird, creative influences to the table if you only know one subject,” he says. “Those creative juices come from combining things that you think shouldn’t be combined. You have to be exposed to extraordinary things.”

He also credits his well-roundedness to some close friends at Sewanee who were natural resource students. Nature Valley is one of 72andSunny’s most prominent clients, and because Chane has learned to recognize nature’s role in the modern world, he’s able to relate to this partnership in a unique way.

“I was never much of a tree and rock person until I came to Sewanee,” Chane says. “The setting and some friends helped me learn and appreciate it more. Now, I’m able to give cool angles on all these concepts. Thanks to Sewanee, I’m not siloed to only one topic.”