Dominic Engels is Chief Executive Officer of Stone Brewing, the 9th largest independent craft brewer in the United States by volume and 3rd largest by revenue. Engels joined Team Stone in September of 2016 from The Wonderful Company, where he held multiple leadership positions over more than 11 years. Most recently, Engels held the position of President at POM Wonderful where he was responsible for leading the global pomegranate business, including POM Wonderful Pomegranate juice. Prior to his role as POM President, he lived in Waterloo, Belgium, where he ran the European and Middle East region for POM Wonderful pomegranate juice and Wonderful Pistachios. Before the European post, Engels held the position of Vice President of Global Marketing/General Manager of Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, where he led the launch and development of The Wonderful Pistachios brand - now a billion dollar retail brand. He started his career at the Wonderful Company advising on mergers and acquisitions as Director of Corporate Development & Strategic Marketing. Prior to Wonderful, Engels’ career included operational and managerial roles in the golf industry (Armour Golf, Spalding / Top-Flite), management consulting (McKinsey & Co.) and retail (The Gap). Engels is a graduate of Dartmouth College where, convenient for his new role at Stone, he studied German culture and society. He earned his MBA in finance, strategy and marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Engels spends his weekends with his wife and three boys on the sidelines of club soccer games by day and with a few glasses of Stone Ruination 2.0 Double IPA Sans Filtre or Stone Enjoy By IPA by night.

Veronica Vega is the Director of Product Development at Deschutes Brewery, the 10th largest craft brewery in the U.S. Veronica is a member of the senior leadership team at Deschutes and brings a high level of expertise to the brewery’s daily operations as well as the strategic vision for the company. She started at Deschutes in 2006 as a tour guide and in 2015, at the age of 35, Veronica became the Brewmaster of Product Development and is now in one of the top positions in the company as Director of Product Development. Veronica is a member of the Master Brewers Association of Americas, shares her passion for brewing and beer in many respected speaking engagements and has been highlighted in several craft brewing and lifestyle publications. Veronica is extremely creative, enthusiastic and passionate not only about craft beer and brewing, but in her life and activities outside of her career as well.  Veronica is very involved in the brewing community and is a mentor for many women both in and out of the industry. Veronica is devoted to her husband and two children, her passion for farming and outdoor recreation and her Deschutes Brewery family. Veronica can be reached at vvega@deschutesbrewery.com.

Jeff Heck co-founded Monday Night Brewing in Atlanta, GA in 2011. The company began when a small group Bible study started homebrewing in Jeff’s garage socially, and has grown to a two (soon-to-be-three) taproom operation distributing across the Southeast, with nearly 50 full-time employees. In his role as CEO, Heck oversees all aspects of Monday Night’s operations and strategy, with the aim of fulfilling the company’s purpose of “deepening human relationships over some of the best beer in the country.” A native of Cincinnati, OH, Heck graduated from Harvard University and spent over 10 years in private equity and corporate M&A before co-founding Monday Night. He and his wife of 15 years have four children and live just a mile from the brewery in Atlanta.

Graci Harkema, former Diversity & Inclusion Director of Founders Brewing Co., is a Diversity & Inclusion Consultant with graci LLC. She specializes in equity and inclusive leadership training within beverage, technology, and Fortune 100 industries. She is dedicated to driving inclusion and integrating diversity to ensure an open and safe work environment. She helps evolve strategies to attract and engage a diverse and inclusive workforce and workplace. Graci is committed to empowering employees to perform to their potential as their authentic selves. She partners with clients to help them achieve successful business results by maximizing talent and inclusion strategies. Graci is passionate about serving her community by volunteering her time on LGBTQ non-profit boards and committees in Michigan. She is recognized as a “40 Under Forty Business Leader of West Michigan” by Grand Rapids Business Journal and has her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Grand Valley State University.

As Vice President of Nielsen’s Beverage Alcohol Practice, Danelle provides industry thought leadership and best practice solutions to beer, wine, and spirits clients, industry groups, and the media. She is committed to leveraging Nielsen’s breadth of resources to provide an integrated and holistic understanding of consumer behavior and retail trends across beer, wine, and spirits. Danelle has more than 15 years of marketing experience, and has been with Nielsen for over 10 years, working across various clients in the food, beverage, and consumer goods industries. Prior to joining the Beverage Alcohol Practice, Danelle led Nielsen’s business at MillerCoors in Chicago. Danelle received her MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and her BA in International Studies and Economics from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.

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.

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.