The Brewers Association (BA) is thrilled to announce its latest cohort of aspiring professionals, advancing professionals, and brewery start-ups in the Mentorship Program. The Spring 2024 cohort matches the largest to date, with 35 members, and includes the highest number of brewery start-ups to participate in the program. With the inception of this cohort, the BA Mentorship Program has proudly served more than 200 participants.

“We are immensely proud to witness the growth and impact of the Mentorship Program as we welcome our seventh cohort,” said J Jackson-Beckham, director of social impact at the BA. “These milestones underscore our dedication to removing professional barriers to entry or advancement in craft brewing.”

The BA Mentorship Program offers a 12-week virtual experience where each participant in the mentorship program collaborates with three mentors in selected areas of interest. In this way, the BA Mentorship Program is nontraditional. It seeks to provide participants with numerous perspectives from several areas of focus in contrast to a single sustained mentoring relationship.

Veronica Zamora, a member of the Fall 2023 mentorship cohort, sought out the help of the program for guidance with starting her brewery. “I couldn’t be happier with the quality of the mentorship program the BA has put together this year. The advice I received was always impartial, well-considered, and very constructive, and I found it incredibly helpful.” Zamora continued, “It encouraged me to look at things differently and enabled me to take a more objective perspective on my achievements and our achievements as a brewery. We’ve managed to set out a great foundation and plan for our brewery.”

Participants who successfully complete the BA Mentorship Program receive support beyond the 12 weeks of active mentorship, including financial support to attend the Craft Brewers Conference®, pursue an industry certification, enroll in an approved brewing education program, or build a reference library through Brewers Publications.

Applications for future cohorts of the Mentorship Program are welcomed, with the BA actively seeking mentors from diverse backgrounds and specializations to support the program’s growth and impact. The BA runs two cohorts of the Mentorship Program annually. Applications to participate in the next cohort, which kicks off in September 2024, will be accepted from April 2024 through the end of July 2024.

The Brewers Association envisions a craft brewing industry that provides unmatched opportunities for learning, professional development, employment, entrepreneurship, belonging, and empowerment to everyone regardless of identities, experiences, or perspectives.

Applications for the Fall 2024 cohort open April 21-July 26. To learn more about the Brewers Association Mentorship Program and to apply to be a participant or mentor, visit brewersassociation.org.