Dan and Julie Kenary have built careers that have shaped both business and personal life in Massachusetts.

Dan Kenary is the president and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery, one of Boston’s most established craft beer companies. His wife, Julie Kenary, is a licensed counselor whose private practice focuses on emotional healing, resilience, and spiritual growth.

Together, their work reflects a combination of business leadership and personal service rooted in long-standing commitments to their community.

Dan’s work helped pioneer the craft beer movement in Boston, turning Harpoon Brewery into a central part of the city’s identity.

As he explained, the brewery became “part of the fabric of the city,” hosting events and welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

Julie works directly with individuals through one-on-one counseling, focusing on understanding each client’s experience and helping them address personal challenges over time.

“Resilience can't happen unless the individual client is understood in their experience,” said Kenary.

Their work reaches both the economic and personal lives of people across Massachusetts.

Julie Kenary grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, just north of Chicago, in a large Catholic family with six children.

She described her upbringing as rooted in faith and education, noting that she was “Educated for all of my years through Catholic schooling…through two master's degrees.”

Her early environment emphasized community, spirituality, and service, which later shaped her approach to counseling.

Dan Kenary grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, the youngest of four children. Like Julie, his upbringing involved Catholic traditions and active community participation.

He recalled being involved in church life, serving as an altar boy for more than a decade, and participating in youth leadership roles. He also developed a strong work ethic early on, delivering newspapers for ten years.

The two met in Chicago while working at a bank, forming a connection based on shared experiences and values. Julie initially expected to stay in the Midwest, but they eventually settled in Massachusetts, where they have lived for more than four decades and raised four children.

At just 25 years old, Dan Kenary left a stable banking job to co-found Harpoon Brewery.

At the time, the American beer landscape was dominated by uniform, mass-produced lagers. A backpacking trip through Europe exposed him to regional breweries producing distinctive beers tied to local culture.

“It was an eye-opener to me for what beer could become to a community,” he said.

That experience shaped the foundation for Harpoon. What began as a small startup has grown into one of the most recognized craft breweries in New England. The company was among the earliest craft breweries in the country and remains one of the longest-operating breweries in Massachusetts, launching at a time when “there were under 100 breweries in the country, and there's about 10,000 now.”

The company’s success is tied not only to its products but also to how it operates.

Dan’s approach to business is grounded in a simple principle: “The golden rule, right? Treat others as you'd like to be treated.” That principle influenced hiring, partnerships, and long-term relationships.

It also shaped a major decision in 2014, when Harpoon transitioned to an employee-owned model. The move aimed to share success with employees, but introduced financial risk. The company took on substantial debt and faced mounting industry challenges, including increased competition and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact.

“We’ve been battling…that debt ever since,” Dan acknowledged.

Julie’s path involved a different set of challenges. Returning to school later in life, balancing family responsibilities, and entering a new profession required determination and uncertainty. She pursued her degrees without a clear end goal, motivated by a desire to help others.

Her work reflects that long-term approach. She emphasizes that therapy is not a quick fix, noting that “therapy is a slow process” and requires confronting deeper patterns and experiences.

While their careers differ, both connect their work to their faith and upbringing. Julie credits practices such as prayer, contemplation, and reflection as important to maintaining balance and supporting her clients and family. Dan similarly connects his leadership style to his background and beliefs.

Despite demanding careers, the Kenarys have consistently prioritized family life. One of their most enduring traditions was gathering for dinner together nearly every night, a practice Dan described as invaluable.

“I don’t think you can overemphasize the importance of something like that,” he said.

They have also spent significant time together in Vermont, where outdoor activities such as hiking and snowshoeing provided time away from work and a chance to reconnect as a family. Today, those traditions continue with the addition of grandchildren.

Julie noted that even as their children have grown, she and Dan have maintained shared routines as a couple, emphasizing time together.

Dan and Julie Kenary’s legacy in Massachusetts reflects both business success and personal impact. Harpoon Brewery remains a symbol of Boston’s entrepreneurial culture, while Julie’s private practice continues to support individuals facing difficult challenges.

Dan said that, for them, success is not just about business achievements but about “the relationships that we have built over the decades.”

They have also remained involved in their communities through service, faith-based efforts, and public engagement.

In reflection, they express a hope that their children, and others, will see it is possible to pursue professional success without abandoning personal values.

“I hope they see that you can be successful…in your professional life in a way that’s consistent with your values,” said Kenary.