1. Brewers Association Mentorship Program

Mentor

By serving as a mentor in the Brewers Association Mentorship Program, you will become a part of the social and professional network of new and emerging industry professionals, supporting their individual knowledge and skill development and providing the “intangibles” that often mean the difference between surviving and thriving in the craft brewing community.

Mentorship Tracks

The Brewers Association mentorship program offers three different tracks to support aspiring and advancing craft beer professionals at multiple stages of career development.

The Aspiring Professionals track is for those who are new to the craft beer community and have little to no work experience in the industry. This mentorship track pairs participants with experienced professionals that will provide a broad introduction to the craft brewing industry. 

The Advancing Professionals track is for those who currently work in the industry and seek to advance, expand, or change their career trajectories. This mentorship track pairs participants with experienced professionals that will provide tailored mentorship in one of three areas of specialization–production, guest experience, and brewery administration.

The Brewery Start-up track is for those who aspire to start a brewery and have taken tangible steps toward doing so, and for breweries that have operated for less than one year. This mentorship track pairs participants with experienced professionals that will provide intensive start-up-focused mentorship

We are looking for mentors in these areas:

Mentors for Aspiring Professionals

  • Craft Brewing Industry 101
  • Tasting Craft Beer: Styles and Evaluation
  • Careers in the Craft Brewing Industry
  • How Beer is Made: Production 101
  • Guest Experience: Taprooms, Events, Tours and More

Mentors for Advancing Professionals

  • Production Specialization
    • Technical Brewing
    • Recipe Formulation
    • Brewery Safety
    • Quality
    • Tasting and Evaluating Beer
    • Brewhouse / Production Management
  • Guest Experience Specialization
    • Tasting and Evaluating Beer
    • Event Planning and Management
    • Marketing and Branding
    • Draught Quality
    • Front of House/Taproom Management
  • Brewery Administration Specialization
    • Brewery Finance and Accounting
    • Human Resources
    • Sales and Distribution
    • Marketing and Branding
    • Brewery Administration Management

Mentors for Brewery Start-ups

  • Business Plan Review
  • Brewery Finance and Accounting
  • Human Resources
  • Sales and Distribution
  • Marketing and Branding
  • Brewery Operations

Mentor Commitment:

As a mentor for the Brewers Association Mentorship Program, you will engage in a series of three-week mentorship relationships with one participant at a time over a period of 12 weeks. Throughout the program mentors are expected to:

  • Initiate and maintain contact with each participant during their week of engagement via email, phone, text message, and/or video chat.
  • Use resources, prompts and activities provided by the program coordinator to engage in high-impact interactions with each participant.
  • Provide assistance and advocacy for at least one participant per cohort in the form of hands-on assistance with an employment search, resume review, letter of recommendation, or other tangible acts of advocacy.

Training and Support:

  • Mentors will participate in a one-week orientation and training program.
  • Mentors will have the support of and access to the program director, Director of Social Impact, J Jackson-Beckham.

Time Commitment:

  • 1 – 3 hours per week. (Time will vary depending on the type of contact/activity planned.)

Duration of Commitment: 

  • 3 – 12 weeks.

Benefits to Mentors:

  • Personal growth.
  • Experiencing the rewards of effecting positive change in the industry.
  • Learning through relationships with individuals from underrepresented/underserved populations in craft brewing.

Eligibility

Participation in the mentorship program is subject to the discretion of the Brewers Association Diversity, Equity and Inclusion selection committee.   

Timeline

Spring Cohort 2025 Fall Cohort 2024
Applications Open: TBD Applications Open: April 21, 2024
Application Deadline: TBD Application Deadline: July 26, 2024
Program Start: TBD Program Start: September 9, 2024
Program End: TBD Program End: December 1, 2024