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Jul
15
Kris McDowell
Crafting A Strategy Scholarship Recipients Announced
Scholarship Recipients
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The Pink Boots Society is excited to announce and introduce the three ladies that have been selected to receive a scholarship for a one-year membership to Crafting A Strategy. Each was chosen by a selection committee of experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers.

Terra Barrett started home brewing a year ago and took her first, part-time industry job in March with Port Rexton Brewing Co. in Newfoundland, Canada where she works in the retail shop, interacting with customers and serving beer. Her home brewing club, Queer Beer NL, gives her an outlet to work on the brewing side of things as well as utilize her skills to create social media posts, monitor their web presence and design the club’s beer labels. 

Being new to the industry, Terra is looking forward to the resources this scholarship will provide to fill in the gaps in her knowledge of brewing and business practices as she works toward her goals of finding a full time position in the industry and being a part of opening a brewery with Queer Beer NL. She says, “with the explosion of craft breweries in our province over the past few years we would love to be able to join such an inclusive and inviting community.” The group is working on a business plan and starting to scout sites, with hopes to open in a few years. 

Michele Bulington is the owner/brewer at Crasian Brewing Company in Brookston, Indiana which she says is, “an area of Indiana that has very little to offer the craft beer consumer. Typically, when people walk into our tasting room it is the first time they have ever tried craft beer, so it is imperative that we make a good impression. This first impression not only affects our location but all the breweries in the area. And we are all working toward the same goal; to promote and support independent craft beer. It is not just about educating people, but changing mindsets, palettes and opening minds to a whole new beer drinking experience.”

A homebrewer since 2012, Michele earned a Business of Craft Brewing certificate from Portland State University that included the creation of her business plan and in the fall of 2017 she opened Crasian with her husband, Tom. As a new business Michele knows there is still plenty to learn in order to be successful. She says, “Numbers are easy for me to understand; marketing practices are much more elusive. This course speaks to my heart because connecting with my customers is a top priority. The Business Model of this course will help me take my plan and elevate it to the next level. This entire course will help me craft a business that will craft a culture and ultimately a destination.” 

Leah Witkoske-West started in the brewing industry two years ago in a cellar operator position at Lock 27 Brewing in Dayton, Ohio. Since then she has moved up to cellar manager and is now an assistant brewer. The expanding brewing facility is consistently hiring new staff and she says, “I will be responsible for training new hires and hope to pass on meaningful skills. This opportunity will allow me to become a better leader and provide the knowledge base required to take on a head brewer position in the future. I am eager to take on any challenge in order to further my own education and apply it in everyday brewery life and educate my coworkers.”

As many brewers have done in the past, Leah’s learning has been hands-on. Hoping one day to run her own brewery she is eager to continue her education and use what she gains from this scholarship personally as well as share it with other women in the industry. She summed her application up by quoting Adelaide Hoodless who said “Educate a boy, and you educate an individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community.” 

Crafting A Strategy (CAS) is a global online learning platform that will be available to the scholarship recipients for one year. Used in universities and breweries all over the world, CAS has over 150 digital content pieces specific to the business needs of brewing entrepreneurs. These include podcasts, webinars, case studies, white papers, instructional videos, blogs, and a professional forum. Scholarship recipients will also receive a weekly CAS newsletter with industry analysis, advice, and links to new content and forums.

In addition to attending the course, each of the ladies will each receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when they fulfill the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.



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