Keith Villa is a third generation Coloradan, whose higher education began with an undergraduate degree in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. His first job out of school in 1986 was with Coors Brewing Company, conducting molecular biology research on yeast. In 1988, Keith and his wife, Jodi, traveled to Belgium where Keith earned a Ph.D. in brewing science and fermentation biochemistry from the University of Brussels. Keith is credited with creating Blue Moon Brewing Company in 1995 as an operating unit of Coors, which later became MillerCoors. Blue Moon’s Belgian White, garnished by a Valencia orange slice, grew to become the number 1 craft beer in the U.S. During this time, and Keith became a well-known brewmaster in the industry, appearing in Blue Moon TV commercials. Now retired from MillerCoors after 32 years, Keith and Jodi are focusing on the next stage in their careers – the creation of non-alcoholic brews infused with THC that offer consumers a socially acceptable and responsible way to enjoy cannabis. These new products will be offered by their CERIA Beverages Company and sold first in Colorado.

Lynne Weaver is the founder and president of Three Weavers Brewing Company in Inglewood, California. Lynne leads all aspects of the brewery, including operations, finance and sales. Three Weavers Brewing Company is an independent craft brewery with a mission to build a positive sense of community through the collective passion for craft beer. Three Weavers is one of the largest independent craft breweries in Los Angeles County and currently expanding production and distribution on the West Coast. Led by award-winning Brewmaster, Alexandra Nowell, Three Weavers craft beers have received critical International acclaim, winning a World Beer Cup Gold Medal in 2016, a GABF Silver Medal in 2017, a European Beer Star Bronze in 2017, and the Australian International Beer Awards Best IPA and Champion International Beer in 2018. Three Weavers is proudly brewed in Inglewood, California.

Eric Ottaway is the CEO of The Brooklyn Brewery, the 11th largest craft brewery in the U.S. He was appointed to the CEO position in 2014. Prior to taking over as CEO, Eric served as chief operating officer of the New York City-based company. Eric, along with his brother Robin Ottaway, who serves as the brewery’s president, have been with the company since the mid-’90s. Eric joined Brooklyn Brewery in 1996, after previously serving as a manager of The Craft Brewers Guild in Boston, a distribution company that at the time was owned by The Brooklyn Brewery. Ottaway earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He is married and has two sons, ages 24 and 21. The Brooklyn Brewery, founded in 1988, produced 293,000 barrels of beer in 2017. Its beer is sold in 26 states and in more than 20 countries. In 2016, Brooklyn Brewery sold a 24.5 percent minority stake to Japan’s Kirin Brewery. The following year, it acquired minority stakes in California’s 21st Amendment and Colorado’s Funkwerks. The company has also forged several international brewing partnerships.

Firestone Walker co-founder David Walker is originally from Devon, a county in southwest England. He relocated to the West Coast in 1991, and established the brewery in Los Olivos, California with his brother-in-law Adam Firestone a few years after that. The company relocated Paso Robles in 2001. Walker makes regular trips home to see his family and check on his beer, which, along with 20 U.S. states, is distributed in the UK.

Eugene Kashper CEO and Chairman of the Board Eugene Kashper is the CEO and Chairman of Pabst, America’s largest independent brewer. He brings over twenty years of experience in the beer industry, including creating and/or launching more than 50 brands of beer and beverages and 10 breweries. Since taking the helm at Pabst in 2014, he has premiumized the company's core brands, strengthened its sales and distribution platform and forged exciting new partnerships. Eugene began his career in the beer industry in 1994 with The Stroh Brewery Company of Detroit, Michigan in international sales, where he worked with many current Pabst brands, including Old Milwaukee, Schaefer, Schlitz, Colt 45, and Stroh’s. He graduated from Columbia University in 1992. Eugene resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.

Having worked in craft beer for nearly two decades, Brandon Börgel now leads the sales and customer experience machine that drives one of the West Coast’s fastest growing independent breweries. Fort Point Beer Company is the first brewery to operate a regional sales and distribution company which services more than 5,000 accounts across the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Having previously worked with Firestone Walker, Drake’s Brewing Company, Anderson Valley Brewing and Speakeasy Ales & Lager during periods of exponential growth, Brandon has developed a reputation as a creative-minded, data driven strategist in beer sales and marketing.

Caitlyn Battaglia is a Manager within Nielsen's Beverage Alcohol Practice Area, where she supports Nielsen's initiatives and thought leadership across beer, wine, and spirits clients. She has been with the Practice Area for more than two years. Prior to joining the Beverage Alcohol Practice Area, Battaglia worked in advanced analytics focusing on pricing and promotion as well as sales and marketing effectiveness. A current Roanoke resident, she holds a B.A. from Denison University and has been with Nielsen for over five years.

Bryant Goulding was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Connecticut. He graduated from UConn with an MA in Economics and wrote his thesis on ‘The Economics & Evolution of the Craft Beer Market.’ Goulding worked as supply chain & marketing analytics consultant while living in SF and would eventually quit the consulting world to work in beer sales at Anderson Valley. He also worked for three years with Dogfish Head, managing 18 wholesalers across five states. He then spent six months at Golden Road in LA as the company’s sales director before co-founding Rhinegeist with Bob Bonder in 2013. Goulding currently serves as the VP of sales & marketing for Rhinegeist, overseeing the creative marketing and sales execution aspects of the business.

Jeremy Tofte is co-founder of Melvin Brewing Company. Like all good modern day drinkers, Jeremy is all heart ?and? soul when it comes to craft beer. He founded Thai Me Up restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in 2000. He was working as a waiter in the current Thai Me Up space and, just like most restaurants in the most expensive town in America, it went under. Being the hustler that he is, he talked the landlord into giving him the keys to the space. After painting the walls and learning Thai food, he opened and immediately started ruining people’s vacations by playing loud hip-hop and Kung Fu while having fun at work. He started brewing legally at Thai Me Up in 2010 on a 20-gallon system. Jeremy was born in Montana and grew up in the beer business in both Oregon and Northwest, Washington where he began working at a beer distributorship in High School. His grandpa worked for Al Capone in Minot, Minnesota, and his father worked for Hamm’s -- and then Miller Brewing -- from age 24 until his retirement. After graduating from Portland State, and snowboarding all over the Western U.S., Jeremy moved to Jackson Hole in 1995. He is entirely committed to having the most fun, brewing the best beer, and making the most people laugh on any given day.

Jocelyn Sheltraw is the Director of Regional Strategy at Headset. She is responsible for strategy and operations in California, along with new market expansion. Jocelyn spent 10 years working in mobile advertising and technology with fortune 500 brands including; Flipboard, Amazon, Uber, Pandora, SoundCloud, and CBS, among others. An entrepreneur at heart, Jocelyn built and launched her own app, and sat on the leadership team for the non-profit, Women in Wireless, advocating for women in technology leadership positions. She now advocates against the social stigma of the cannabis consumer.

Andy Thomas has served as Chief Executive Officer for Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) since January, 2014, where he brings more than two decades of leadership experience in consumer packaged goods and the beer and beverage industries to his role. As President of Commercial Operations for CBA from 2011 to 2013, Andy helped establish the company’s distinctive portfolio strategy which combines the power of national lifestyle brands such as Kona Brewing Co. with strong, authentic regional craft brands. Prior to joining CBA, he served as an independent consultant and senior advisor to The Monitor Group, a global management consulting firm. From 1995 to 2007, he spent 12 years at Heineken, working with brewers and beers in more than 55 countries across four continents, and served as president & CEO of Heineken USA from 2005-2007. He holds an MBA from the Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester, and a Bachelor of Science, with a concentration in Marketing, from Bryant University.

Matt leads the charge to reinvent some of America’s most iconic beer brands, embracing the significant transformation required to reconnect with emerging generations and unlock the potential of the Pabst brands, people, and everyone we touch. Over the years Matt has worked all over the world in diverse industries - from cigarettes to breakfast foods to alcohol to the building sector. Matt enjoys building diverse teams that bring together courageous thinking that’s divergent and unique while focused on actionable outcomes.

Mike Provance is the CEO of 3x3 Insights, a retail analytics company focused on understanding consumer behavior within the independent liquor channel. An expert in scaling high-potential ventures and digital business strategy, Mike delivers strategic growth and operational excellence to progressive, technology-centric companies. In particular, his expertise addresses digital transformation of companies in regulated markets and the growth of technology businesses that bring change to industries. As CEO of 3x3 Insights, he leads a team of industry and technology experts by applying data to the business of beverage alcohol consumption. This work follows on a 25-year career building groundbreaking digital business in industries spanning financial services, information services, and healthcare. Mike led the growth of a new business unit that contributed to a $1 billion IPO, helped launch the first e-commerce platforms and personalization servers for online business, and delivered futurist technology strategy to industrial and military organizations. Mike holds a PhD from George Washington University, MBA from Penn State, and undergraduate from MIT.

Felipe Szpigel is the president of Anheuser-Busch’s craft division, The High End. In this role, oversees a portfolio that includes brands like Stella Artois, Shock Top, Goose Island, Golden Road, Blue Point, 10 Barrel, Elysian, Four Peaks, Karbach, Breckenridge Brewery, Virtue Cider, Devils Backbone, Veza Sur, and SpikedSeltzer. Szpigel’s appreciation for great beer and amazing experiences led him to Anheuser-Busch InBev 17 years ago in Brazil as a global management trainee, and he never looked back, rising through the company’s sales organizations, including region sales vice president in Brazil and global vice president of trade marketing, based in the US. A lifelong learner and explorer, Szpigel currently resides in New York City with his wife Paula and daughter Stella. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Brazil’s IBMEC and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo.

Pete Marino is the President of Tenth and Blake, the craft and import business division of MillerCoors. Tenth and Blake is responsible for incubating five great craft partner breweries which include: Saint Archer; Hop Valley; AC Golden; Revolver; and Terrapin. In addition, Tenth and Blake’s import portfolio includes Peroni, Pilsner Urquell and Grolsch. Tenth and Blake recently expanded into the non-alcohol segment with an acquisition of California-based Clearly Kombucha. Marino also serves as Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer for MillerCoors, overseeing Public Affairs, State and Federal Government Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Sustainability, Brand PR and Communications. Marino holds an MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA and a BA-Journalism from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He is active in his community and lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife Jennifer and their three kids.

Ben Dollard is the president of Constellation’s craft & specialty beer division and a member of the beer leadership team. In this recently appointed role, Ben is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Constellation’s craft & specialty beer business. Ben joined Constellation in 2001 as the senior vice president marketing of Pacific Wine Partners (PWP), a joint venture between BRL Hardy of Australia and Constellation Brands. Ben was later appointed President of PWP where he played a key role in Constellation’s acquisition of Blackstone, Rex Goliath and Black Box, turning PWP into one of the fastest growing premium wine companies in the U.S. He later served as the senior vice president of Constellation Brands International before being promoted to Chief Growth Officer. Most recently, Ben held the position of SVP – Chief Marketing Officer for the Wine & Spirits Division. Before joining Constellation Brands, Ben began his beverage career in Adelaide, Australia, with BRL Hardy Wine Company in international sales and marketing before moving to the company’s U.S. headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he assumed the position of company president.

Matthew Crompton is a Client Director for Nielsen CGA and is responsible for the implementation of Nielsen CGA’s on-premise services in the US. Since joining CGA Strategy in January 2010, Matthew has risen through the CGA ranks becoming an expert in all things on-premise. Matthew has managed and provided consultancy for some of the largest beverage alcohol manufacturers across Europe including Diageo, Anheuser-Busch and William Grant & Sons. In January 2014, Matthew became part of the joint venture between CGA and Nielsen, which has helped bring the first ever truly robust on-premise measurement service to the US. Matthew comes to the US, having also helped launch services in other territories such as France and Germany. Matthew is now part of the US on-premise specialist team, providing first-class insight into an often perceived dark market. Matthew is originally from the north of England and has embraced American life at every opportunity since relocating to Chicago in August 2015.

Chris Furnari is the editor of Brewbound and focuses exclusively on the beer business. In addition to overseeing daily content, Furnari also plans and executes Brewbound's business networking events -- Brewbound Live and Brew Talks. He is a regular at industry gatherings and has been cited in mainstream media publications such as CNBC, USA Today, The Boston Globe, Mashable and Wired Magazine, among others.

Amanda is the Founder & CEO of Amanda Laden International. She has over 15 years of experience in international business, leading teams on 5 continents. She helps companies navigate complex human capital and culture issues - achieving clarity and taking action. Her mission is to help organizations create inclusive, safe, and dynamic cultures that honor the skills and uniqueness of each human. She uses her deep understanding of human behavior, team dynamics, and organizational development to positively affect strategy at all levels. She works with companies providing strategic consulting services, leadership training and development, workshops, and facilitations. She has specific expertise working with the beverage industry, and understands their complexities including import and distribution, sourcing, production, marketing and sales.

Marco Hoffman is the CEO and Founder of Evergreen Herbal. Marco originally began his career as a cinematographer where he worked for networks such as National Geographic and The Food Network. In 2008, he witnessed firsthand the drastic benefits of cannabis as a medicinal aid and made the decision to enter the cannabis industry. After much success in California and the creation of the iconic 4.20 Bar, Marco turned his attention north to Washington state, founding Evergreen Herbal in 2013. Today, Evergreen Herbal is the largest cannabis-infused edibles producer in the State of Washington. The company has the highest quality control standards in the industry, with the most responsible packaging and labeling standards possible. Marco and his team are committed to providing the same great quality products to the recreational market as they have been for the medical industry all these years.

Justin Kendall provides daily coverage of the beer industry on Brewbound.com, conducts live-streamed interviews during Brewbound's events and co-produces the Brewbound podcast. Kendall is a 17-year career journalist who led alt-weekly newspapers in Kansas City, Missouri, and Des Moines, Iowa.

Fred Hart is Partner and Creative Director at Interact Boulder, a branding and packaging design agency obsessed and dedicated to the food & beverage industry. Despite being located in microbrewery-mecca Boulder CO, Fred’s inability to grow a beard, lack of tattoos and non-existent flannel hasn’t held him back from the beer community. Since 2016, Fred has led Interact’s redesign of iconic Dogfish Head, refreshing their beers, launching their cans and forging their off-centered spirits.

Karmen Olson is the Director of Innovation for Craft Brew Alliance. Karmen previously served as the director of emerging business partnerships, where she discovered and integrated strategic partners. Prior to that role, Karmen was the Redhook Brand Manager for CBA, where she initiated a partnership strategy with national Retail and Media outlets that led the brand from negative to double-digit growth. Karmen has more than 15 years of experience in the Food and Beverage industry, specializing in brand strategy and strategic partnerships. Ms. Olson holds an MBA from George Fox University, a Bachelor of Science from Portland State University, and serves on the Board of Directors for Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, OR.

Thomas Bleigh is the Innovation Brewmaster for Craft Brew Alliance where he leads a team of Innovation brewers to create new products, explore new ingredients and engage in brewing Research & Development. Tom was born in Augsburg, Germany and is a graduate of UC Davis with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and the University of Wisconsin with an Master of Fine Arts. A 16 year Craft Beer industry veteran, Tom’s interests are in meats, cheese and kimchi in addition to “Pursuit of the Perfect Pint!”

Ryan is a Managing Director at OMAC Beverage Advisors, which is a hyper-specialized investment banking firm that focuses solely on the beverage industry. Ryan has 15 years of experience with beverage companies and the team at OMAC has successfully completed over 80 engagements for beverage company clients, representing transaction value of over $2.5 billion.

David Fields is the managing partner of Wormtown Brewery in Worcester, Massachusetts. Under David’s leadership, the brewery has grown from 2,700 barrels in 2014 to 27,000 barrels in 2018. Prior to joining Wormtown, David spent 15 years as the managing partner of Consolidates Beverages, an Anheuser-Busch distributor in Auburn, Massachusetts. He also served as the vice president of sales for Consolidated Beverages between 1996 and 1999. David is the past president and former board member of the Beer Distributors of Massachusetts. He also served on the boar of the National Beer Wholesalers Association and was a member of Anheuser-Busch’s wholesale panel. Born and raised in Worcester, David is married and has one son.

Fred Hart is Partner and Creative Director at Interact Boulder, a branding and packaging design agency obsessed and dedicated to the food & beverage industry. Despite being located in microbrewery-mecca Boulder CO, Fred’s inability to grow a beard, lack of tattoos and non-existent flannel hasn’t held him back from the beer community. Since 2016, Fred has led Interact’s redesign of iconic Dogfish Head, refreshing their beers, launching their cans and forging their off-centered spirits.

Marty is the founder of E3 Craft Strategies, and the president of sales at Brew Pipeline. As the founder of E3 Craft Strategies, he consults craft brewers on growth strategies and core competencies including sales, supply chain, key account operations and marketing. Marty will also lead the launch of Brew Pipeline, including building a new team of regional sales directors with a primary focus on brewery and distributor relations. At Brew Pipeline, he will also organize a new guest brewer program that works within the national “rotation nation” phenomenon by providing allotments to key on-and-off premise accounts and chain buyers. Prior to striking out on his own, Marty built two well-known distribution networks and field teams during stints with Oskar Blues and Ninkasi Brewing.

Kary Shumway is the founder of Beer Business Finance and Craft Brewery Finance, online resources for beer industry professionals. He has worked in the beer industry for more than 20 years as a certified public accountant and a chief financial officer for a beer distributor. He currently serves as CFO for Wormtown Brewery in Worcester, MA. Craft Brewery Finance publishes a weekly beer industry finance newsletter, offers guidebooks on topics such as cash flow planning and basic budgeting, as well as an online course on improving taproom profits. The newsletter — with a free trial, industry guides and resources — is available at www.craftbrweryfinance.com.

Tim Near is a New York based long-term procurement and logistics specialist with decades of experience in the food and beverage industry. He started his career in Dairy with Neilson’s in Canada (now part of Saputo), then moved to Quaker Oats (Pepsico) where he was in plant operations, logistics and ultimately managed all of procurement as a Country procurement leader. He then went to Interbrew to lead global procurement for packaging and raw materials. Tim spent 14 years in leadership roles in procurement and logistics with the beer company as it grew to become InBev, then ABI. Since leaving ABI 5 years ago, Tim has been advising large global consumer products companies, as well as following his passion for helping startup and smaller food, beverage and consumer products companies improve their procurement and logistics operations.

Erin Jones began her career in 2012 when she moved back to Asheville to help open Wicked Weed Brewing. By early 2014, she was the brand manager and head of marketing. She departed in July 2016 to serve as the marketing director for Burial Beer Co. until forming Point Five Creative Consulting in late 2018 with business partner, Jordan Hughes. Jones' prior experience includes photography, content and copy writing, event management, national beer festivals, label project management, and compliance. Her field of specialty is brand narrative, storytelling, and project management. She is currently based in Denver, Colorado.

Steve Almaraz currently serves as the Craft Category Director for Reyes Beverage. He began his sales career in the beer industry in 1991 with one of the first California craft breweries, Shields Brewing, in Ventura, Calif. In 1993, he accepted a position as an independent sales rep for Shamrock Imports. It was here that Steve developed his love and passion for beer -- learning all sides of distribution, beer knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit, and hard work. Shamrock was the pioneer for craft and specialty-imported beer in Southern California in the early 1990s. Wine Warehouse would acquire shamrock, and Steve took a position as a regional sales manager, where he developed skills to manage a team and learned how to sell wine and spirits. In 1999, Firestone Family Estates recruited from Wine Warehouse to manage the sales team. In 2001, Steve became the vice president of sales for Firestone Walker Brewing. During his 15-year tenure with the brewery, he developed and managed the distribution network, created the sales team, stewarded the branding and marketing, and overall sales direction. He was a key leader in taking the brewery from 6,000 barrels in 1999 to over 230,000 barrels in 2014. Steve joined Reyes’ Beer Division in August, 2014 as the craft category director. His various roles include growing the Craft category (Craft beer, cider, and specialty beverages), new brand partnerships, brewery education, best practices, National account development, and enhancing brewer business relations for Reyes Beverage Group. Steve also oversees the SKU management for West coast beer brands. Steve is a member of the Brewer’s Association and National Beer Wholesalers Association. He resides in Ventura, Calif., with his wife Toni, and two sons. He also has a daughter who lives in England. He enjoys traveling, playing soccer, outdoor activities, and spending time with his family.