STEPUP: The Journey Has Only Just Begun

BY SHARLI WARD, STEPUP FOUNDATION PROGRAM MANAGER

An idea had taken hold in their minds years earlier. The American Craft Spirits Association’s 2020 leadership recognized it was the right time to act, and the STEPUP Foundation launched to life. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, organizations across the world also made promises and pledges to do better. Six years later, many of those initiatives have been shuttered or silenced. When others were stepping down, the foundation continued to STEP UP. With that deep sense of commitment came reflection and clarity. The STEPUP Foundation leadership listened to previous participants and learned while growing.

Now, in the fifth year of programming, STEPUP is pivoting to broaden access to more people who we want to welcome into our vibrant spirits community. 

Many ACSA members will remember our inaugural, comprehensive internship model. It was a fully immersive, multi-distillery program that allotted two interns an entire year on the road to explore all facets of the spirits industry at a number of host distilleries and with a nationwide distributor. After gathering feedback from both interns and host distilleries, we took a hard look at the program’s length, time commitment, and operational capacity. In year two, our intern program was shortened to 8 months, and then in year three, down to 6 months. By year four, it was clear that a bigger leap moving forward was needed. How could we better support and increase the number of folks we wanted to call in, more efficiently, with less burden on our host distillery partners, and without increasing our operational budget? 

At the heart of craft spirits are distillers who are known for their ability to create, adapt, and adjust at a moment’s notice. With similar grit and resolve, we chose to do the same and dared to dream bigger. From the beginning, our goal was to move from two interns a year to fully funding ten annually.

To scale up, something needed to be scaled down, but without sacrificing what made STEPUP unique and special. We knew we wanted learners to be able to step foot inside craft spirit distilleries, have a chance to ask in-depth questions, and have access to our spirited ACSA community. We wanted to provide additional training, resources, and certifications. We also understood that there were real-world barriers to consider, like cost, geography, operations, and scheduling. 

After a careful reevaluation, the Board of Directors landed on a hybrid solution: 

• A 12-week self-paced online curriculum
• A two-day distillery shadowing experience
• An optional wholesale component for those willing and able to participate 

Mentorship would be in the style of hour-long, Zoom “Office Hours”, opening up networks and providing insights (without the previous substantial time commitment). Host Distilleries of all shapes and sizes could potentially open their doors to learners within their region, at a significantly lesser burden on time, commitment, and operations. Interns would now be known as Trainees, and each would be offered a free one-year membership to the ACSA along with expanded post-program Career Coaching.

With new and reestablished relationships with Wine & Spirit Education Trust and ISTS, we could also offer WSET Level I & II, OSHA-10, and Forklift Certification – all delivered virtually. After crunching the numbers, what cost STEPUP operationally for two interns in the previous model would now comfortably accommodate ten in the new model. The program would remain free to all participants, and our commitment to their success would still drive our mission. 

Armed with data, feedback, and no small amount of gumption, the STEPUP team set out to reimagine the program. And, in one year, reimagine it we did. Applications opened for the new hybrid trainee externship program earlier this year. In part due to the evolutionary changes to the program, we received more applications in 2026 than in any year prior. 

With the guidance of the Selection Committee and the STEPUP Board of Directors, ten trainees were selected and accepted to be a part of the Class of 2026, and it was officially launched on June 1st, 2026. 

Five years in, the program looks different from how it began, and that’s a good thing. STEPUP was built to evolve alongside the industry it serves and, at its core, has always been about people. Our active alum, Keyah Boyd, Alexcia Pugh, Erica Paul, Ashley Grayson, and Erin Lee, remain passionate members of this industry, and their continued presence is a testament to what happens when access meets opportunity.

We are so excited to see how these ten trainees will grow, dream, and create great contributions to our industry. As we welcome the Class of 2026, we remain grateful to the ACSA community, our host distilleries, mentors, and donors who make it all possible. The door is open — and we’re just getting started.