5th Annual Making Moves Event Unites Beer and Beverage Leaders for Two Days of Leadership Development

One-of-a-Kind Event Builds Confidence, Leadership Skills and Connections Across the Beer Industry

ORLANDO, Fla. - The National Beer Wholesalers Association's (NBWA) Building Relationships and Empowering Women + Workforce (BREW) initiative and the Alliance for Women in Beer co-hosted their fifth annual Making Moves event, bringing together nearly 300 leaders from across the beer and beverage industry for two impactful days focused on building confidence, strengthening leadership skills and preparing for the future of the industry.

This year's theme, "Built for the Ride Ahead," took a practical look at what professionals need to advance in their careers and lead through change. Sessions addressed everything from self-advocacy, negotiation and executive presence to mentorship, managing teams, prioritization and artificial intelligence, alongside conversations about the trends shaping the beer business.

"Every year, Making Moves gives us the opportunity to have honest conversations about what people across our industry need to grow and succeed," said Kim McKinnish, NBWA Chief Operating Officer, who leads the BREW program. "This year was focused on action. Whether it was speaking up for yourself, becoming a stronger leader, building the right relationships or preparing for changes in our industry, attendees walked away with tools they can use as they take the next step in their careers."

This year's event featured Meggie Palmer, an award-winning journalist, speaker and executive coach and the founder of PepTalkHer, an organization dedicated to closing the gender pay gap.

Making Moves also brought together Rebecca Maisel, Gulf Distributing Holdings; Jenn Schmid, Molson Coors Beverage Company; Lauren Quaglia, The Boston Beer Company; and Tom Ewing, Florida Distributing Company for a candid conversation about what it takes to build credibility and influence in the beer industry. The group discussed making your ideas heard, advocating for yourself and navigating the realities of building a career in a historically male-dominated industry, while Elizabeth Oates, Vice President of Consumer Insights at Molson Coors Beverage Company, shared how professionals can move beyond observations to identify actionable insights, influence decisions and turn information into a business advantage.

Closing out the event, Caroline Foulk, founder of Beer Girl, shared her experience building her own brand and the lessons she learned along the way. Foulk spoke about taking risks, embracing uncertainty, trusting her instincts and having the confidence to bet on herself even when there was no established roadmap to follow.

The event featured a dynamic lineup of speakers from across the beer and beverage industry, including:

• Ellie Preslar, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
• Michaela Murphy, The Boston Beer Company
• Stephanie Hamilton, The Boston Beer Company
• Lucinda Ochwat, VIP
• Alex Pratt, Good Boy Vodka
• Lia Stierwalt, Constellation Brands
• Maria Littlefield, Owl's Brew
• Jenn Litz-Kirk, Beer Business Daily
• Jennifer Bergson Richman, Manhattan Beer & Beverage Distributors
• Harvey Collins, Circle K
• Jennifer Hauke, Draftline Technologies
• Kaleigh Theriault, NIQ
• Lauren Doll-Sheeder, Doll Distributing
• Sarah Matesich, Matesich Distributing Co.
• Bud Dunn, VXP
• Wei Fraser, Lakeshore Beverage
• Bill Kraich, Encompass Technologies

NBWA also announced Laura Markstein and The Odom Corporation as recipients of the 2026 Freida G. Maisel Trailblazer Award for empowering women's professional success in beer and beverage distribution. The awards honor both an NBWA distributor company and an individual whose leadership has advanced opportunities for women's career growth.

The next Making Moves event will be held in Las Vegas on Oct. 7-8, 2027, following NBWA's 90th Annual Convention and Trade Show.

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