BREW Leadership Forum Empowers Women to Drive Business Success

Press Release Apr 08, 2025

Third annual event convenes members of Congress, industry leaders and expert speakers in Washington, D.C. Women

Washington, D.C. - The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) on April 7 proudly hosted the Building Relationships & Empowering Women (BREW) Leadership Forum during its Legislative Conference in Washington D.C., convening a record crowd of more than 160 passionate women and men from across the industry.

Launched in 2021 to connect and develop women in beer and beverage distribution, BREW seeks to provide access to essential resources, events and insights. This year's Leadership Forum focused on resetting attendees' drive, remixing their thinking, and redrawing the playing field. The forum featured remarks by U.S. Representative Angie Craig (MN-02), a luncheon with U.S. Representative Julie Fedorchak (ND-At Large) and a keynote address from former CNN journalist Nadia Bilchik.

"As women play an increasingly critical role in beer and beverage distribution, BREW programming like the record-setting 2025 Leadership Forum helps companies tap into the energy of this growing movement - elevating your team members to deliver serious results," said NBWA Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Kim McKinnish. "We could not be more thrilled to gather so many leaders in beer distribution here in our nation's capital, equipping them with tools to enhance their skills and drive business growth throughout the year."

Nadia's keynote inspired attendees by helping them better articulate their personal brands - an essential tool for creating stability and driving impact in today's dynamic landscape. The BREW Leadership Forum also featured Clarissa Peterson, a former beer distributor turned HR guru, who led an interactive session aimed at transforming attendees' approaches to challenges through a proactive, problem-solving mindset.

Attendees learned to unlock the secrets to successful negotiating during a panel discussion moderated by real estate leader Jessica Miller and featuring Genesis Smith of Pepin Distributing Company, Karen Kovtun of Ippolito Christon and Co., and Laurie Knight, NBWA Executive Vice President of Government Affairs.

A standout panel featured Adam Vitale of G&M Distributors moderating a candid discussion on convergence in the beverage alcohol market. Participants Aimy Steadman of BeatBox Beverages, Peter Marino of Lofted Spirts and Erica Garvey of Stateside Brands explored opportunities for beer and beverage distributors to expand their portfolios and deliver value for retail customers.

Further insights were gleaned during a panel on key factors that will shape the beverage industry over the next decade, such as moderation trends, cannabis products and GLP-1 drugs. Beer Business Daily's Jenn-Litz Kirk moderated this timely conversation between Kaleigh Theriault of NielsenIQ, Jeff W. Bertucci of F.E.B. Distributing Co. and Lester Jones, NBWA Vice President, Analytics and Chief Economist.

BREW will continue to elevate and connect women in beer distribution at its fourth annual Making Moves event, returning this October 15 in Las Vegas, NV.

###

BREW officially launched in 2021 to address the underrepresentation of women in management roles in the beer distribution industry. For more information about BREW, click here.