Five years in, the STEPUP program looks different from how it began, and that’s a good thing.
STEPUP: The Journey Has Only Just Begun
STEPUP Foundation
STEPUP Foundation Appoints Industry Leader Sydney Jones to Board of Directors
Washington, DC (April 22, 2026) – The Spirits Training Entrepreneurship Program for Underrepresented Professionals (STEPUP) today announced the appointment of Sydney Jones, Supervisor and Lead Distillery Technician, Heaven Hill Springs Distillery, to its Board of Directors. Founded in 2020 as part of an effort led by the American Craft...
Margie A.S. Lehrman to Retire as ACSA CEO; Emily Pennington Appointed to Lead Organization
Washington, D.C. (March 25, 2026) — Following over a decade of leadership at the helm of the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), Margie A.S. Lehrman will retire from her role as Chief Executive Officer, transitioning into a newly created CEO Emeritus position on May 1. ACSA Chief Operating Officer...
STEPUP Foundation Kicks Off Fourth Round of Immersive Internship Program
Washington, DC (January 22, 2025) – The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) and The Spirits Training Entrepreneurship Program for Underrepresented Professionals (STEPUP Foundation) are proud to announce their 2025 class, which kicks off this month and welcomes industry veteran Sydney Jones as a mentor and Corsair Artisan Distillery as...
INTRODUCING GOOD DEEDS SPIRITS AND ITS INAUGURAL RELEASE, GOOD DEEDS MALT WHISKEY
Craft Distillers and Friends Collaborate on Malt Whiskey Blend, With 100% of Proceeds to Benefit ACSA’S STEPUP October 5, 2021 (BUTTE, MT) — Good Deeds Spirits is proud to announce its first-ever release, GOOD DEEDS MALT WHISKEY, a malt whiskey blend from 9 leading craft whiskey producers. This 1,000...
