Hop Forward Equality Career Fair Returns

Hosted by Mass. Bay Brewing Co. & the Mass Brewers Guild 
Monday, April 25

BOSTON | In an effort to encourage more diversity within the craft beer community, Mass. Bay Brewing Company’s Harpoon Brewery and the Mass Brewers Guild, the state’s trade association that exists to protect and promote the industry, are bringing back the Hop Forward Equality Career Fair on Monday, April 25, 2022. 

In October 2019, the inaugural event drew more than 200 candidates to Harpoon Brewery’s taproom and brought together job seekers from underrepresented populations, connecting them to local breweries seeking to expand their talent pools. The event was intended to be yearly, and replicated regionally statewide, but those plans were unfortunately sidelined due to the pandemic. 

Determined to not lose all the momentum gained, the two organizations pivoted to launch a diversity and inclusion resource center for the brewing industry - HopForwardEquality.com. The site is home to HR resources, tool kits, terms glossaries, suggested reading, training opportunities and the pilot episode of Black Brew Dialogues, a new travelogue series about the craft beer industry. Now, a year later they’ll team up once again to bring back the signature event that’s at the heart of the collective effort to diversify the trade and help to break down barriers. 

“What we hear most often from brewery owners and their recruitment teams is that they’d like to diversify their employee rosters, but they aren’t seeing the applicants come through to apply for their open positions,” says Katie Stinchon, executive director of the Mass Brewers Guild. “Through this career fair we hope to bridge together key partners, diverse candidates, and breweries that are actively working to expand their workforce.”

The groups are working with MassHire, the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges, Amaru, the Veterans Collaborative, Best Buddies and the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce to attract candidates to learn about the many different career paths available within the state’s breweries. Positions  are available from all levels ranging from taproom staff, sales cellar/packaging operators, to marketing roles, graphic designers, operations directors,  quality control specialists and brewers – candidates are welcome to come and learn more about the ins and outs of working in a brewery. They’ll hear more about the work environment, how to get started in the field, skills that are valued, opportunities to grow and advance and salary and benefits offerings. 

Participating breweries include Aeronaut Brewing Co., Boston Beer Co./Samuel Adams, Castle Island Brewing Co., Democracy Brewing, Jack’s Abby Brewing/Springdale, Lord Hobo Brewing Company, Mass. Bay Brewing Co./Harpoon, Night Shift Brewing, Thirsty Robot Brewing Co., Timberyard Brewing Co. and Trillium Brewing Company. 

KeyAnna Schmiedl, global head of diversity at Wayfair

The recruiters and HR executives from these breweries -- as well as any brewery interested in this work -- will have the opportunity to learn from special guest speaker KeyAnna Schmiedl, global head of diversity at Wayfair, before the career fair begins. 

Schmiedl is responsible for creating the global DEIB strategy at Wayfair and for weaving inclusivity into critical functions across the organization. This has enabled Wayfair to develop a diverse and engaged workforce. From Intention to Impact, Schmiedl will share her best practices for transforming work environments into places where diversity, equity and belonging become a vital part of the fabric of our company. She'll share that by observing the landscape, creating customized strategies, implementing the plan and adjusting accordingly - results in success for all of us. 

This training is one of many being offered to the Massachusetts brewing community throughout the year. Other topics include active by-stander Intervention, de-escalation, sexual harassment and how to effectively respond to employee issues. 

“It was important for us to add an educational element to this event. Continued education is critical to ensure that once we attract top talent, that we can retain them on our teams,” says Rich Ackerman, AVP of Human Resources at Mass. Bay Brewing Co. “Our industry is missing out on diverse hands, minds and hearts driving our industry forward. We hope to change that with this concerted effort and by continually reaching into our communities.”

The Hop Forward Career Fair is made possible thanks to the generosity of the Brewers Association, and is open to the public from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Harpoon Brewery located at 306 Northern Ave, Boston, Mass. Free parking is available onsite with numerous overflow options available in the area, including metered parking on Northern Avenue and a parking garage across the street from the brewery (also on Northern Avenue). Public Transportation is provided by the MBTA Silver Line.

Registration is strongly encouraged. Walk-ins welcome. Those interested in attending the career fair can register at Hopfwdcareerfair.eventbrite.com. To learn more, visit HopFowardEquality.com. 

Those interested in learning more about how to partner and support Hop Forward Equality or its career fair can reach out to Rich Ackerman at rackerman@harpoon.com or Katie Stinchon at katie@massbrewersguild.org.

*Hop Forward Equality has zero tolerance for racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, discrimination, violence or harassment. We do not tolerate any aggressions or microaggressions against one another. The group utilizes Speakfully, an anonymous third party reporting system to help monitor its events. If you see or hear something, you can locate a poster throughout the venue, scan the QR Code and let us know.

Massachusetts craft brewers team up to diversify their industry

Harpoon parent and state trade group launch a website, training series

Originally featured on BostonGlobe.com

Dan Kenary used to look around at craft beer events and see the same thing: “a bunch of white dudes with beards and flannel,” as he puts it.

Kenary, chief executive of Harpoon beer parent Mass. Bay Brewing, is hoping to change that, once in-person events resume. His company has teamed up with the industry’s statewide trade group, the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, to launch an ambitious effort to diversify the ranks.

This month, they unveiled a website, dubbed Hop Forward Equality, to serve as a central clearinghouse for the industry in terms of diversity and inclusion initiatives, book suggestions, job postings, and best practices. They’re also launching a series of training sessions, virtual at first, to help executives diversify their teams.

About 6,000 people work for the craft beer industry in the state, primarily at one of the 210 breweries here. Women are playing an increasing role. But people of color remain poorly represented.

Kenary’s company and the brewers guild are also supporting a video travelogue series, hosted by Live Like A Local Tours founder Collin Knight, to highlight brewers across the state and their contributions to diversity.

For the first installment of this series, Knight headed out to Springfield, to visit with Ray Berry, founder of White Lion Brewing and one of a handful of Black brewery owners in the state. He opened his brewery last year after several years of contract brewing. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed things, but now Berry is eager to welcome visitors. He raises a glass to the Hop Forward Equality effort.

“I’m very proud and encouraged by Mass. Bay Brewing and the local Mass. guild for understanding that there is truly a deficit in our trade and looking to be creative in conversation and in action steps to bring awareness and move the needle,” said Berry, who is a member of the brewers guild’s diversity committee. “They are taking a very proactive step in the right direction.”

Mass. Bay hosted a diversity job fair in October 2019, also using the “Hop Forward” name, at the Harpoon brewery in Boston after Kenary found it tough to attract applicants from diverse communities. That fair was supposed to be a springboard to a series of job-focused events across the state in 2020, but the pandemic interfered. Brewers guild executive director Katie Stinchon and Mass. Bay HR chief Rich Ackerman didn’t want to let their momentum or the partnerships they formed fade away, so they channeled their energy into new directions: the website, the training sessions, the “Back Brew Dialogues” hosted by Knight.

The brewers can make a business case for these efforts, including broadening the market for their beers, and bringing more diversity of thought to their workforces. Stinchon estimated that craft beer trade groups in at least 10 other states have diversity and inclusion initiatives — but none have their own online resource center, at least not yet.

“This has to be a broader-based effort, and it’s got to be made more permanent,” Kenary said. “Not enough attention has been paid to diverse communities. ... I’m not 100 percent sure of the reason. Maybe we’re too insular of an industry at times, more focused on what each other were doing, instead of how we could reach out to underserved and underrepresented communities.”

Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jonchesto.

Massachusetts Brewers Participate in the Black is Beautiful initiative

to raise awareness and funds to fight racism and advocate for police brutality reform

The Black is Beautiful initiative is a nationwide effort across the brewing community and craft beer customers, with the goal to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily. 

Launched by African American owned Weathered Souls Brewing Company, located in Texas, the founders asked breweries from across the country to sign on to the collaboration by utilizing the base stout recipe they’ve provided to create a “Black is Beautiful” beer with 100% of the beer's proceeds going back to foundations that support police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged. 

The base recipe was designed to be a moderately high ABV stout to showcase different shades of black. 

Participating breweries choose their own local organizations that support equality and inclusion. Those who sign onto the project are also asked to look internally and commit to the long-term work of equality. The goal is to bridge the gap that's been around for ages and provide a platform to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color. 

To date, sixteen local breweries have joined the effort including 3cross Fermentation Coop., Aeronaut Brewing Co., Big Elm Brewing Co., Bright Ideas Brewing Co., Brockton Beer Co., Castle Island Brewing Co., Gentile Brewing Co., Harpoon Brewing Co., Lost Shoes Brewing & Roasting Co., Old Planters Brewing Co., Samuel Adams Boston Taproom & Brewery, Trillium Brewing, True North Ale Co., Vitamin Sea Brewing, White Lion Brewing Co. and Wormtown Brewery.  

“As a black owned brewery we diversify a predominately white brewing culture.  Since our launch we have been able to bridge the gap in our black and brown communities and will continue to model the way,” says Ray Berry, owner of White Lion brewing Co. “If we don't hold true to our core values and be a voice for change, we failed on principle.” White Lion Brewing Co. has teamed up with Trillium Co. to create a 9% Imperial Stout that will be available in August. Proceeds will benefit the Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley, located in Springfield, Mass. 

Nearly 80 percent of craft beer consumers in Massachusetts are white, and there are only six African American owned breweries across the state.

Aeronaut Brewing Co.’s Black is Beautiful Beer will be available starting on July 16 and sold at the brewery for pick-up and home delivery. They’ll also distribute to local shops throughout Cambridge, Somerville and across the state. 

“We’ve had many discussions on how we can take our allyship to the next level through internal and external actions - so we were very excited to see this project come about. We love the collaborative spirit across the brewing industry and love the opportunity to connect with fellow brewers, near and far,” says Lee Hatfield, communications manager for Aeronaut Brewing Co. Aeronaut’s 6.2% Oatmeal Stout is brewed with a blend of chocolate malt, roasted barley, Midnight Wheat and Cascade hops, along with a generous proportion of flaked oats. This beer will support the ACLU and its mission to preserve the individual rights and liberties of every person in this country. 

“True North Ales is committed to doing our part to eradicate systemic racism. One way that we can do that is through raising awareness. Ipswich and the surrounding communities are not very diverse,” says Gary Rogers, owner of True North Ale Co., “Offering the Black Is Beautiful brew from our Taproom will serve to raise awareness and start conversations that we hope will lead to real change.”

3cross Fermentation Coop. has always been centered around the ideals of community and inclusion, so when the project was launched they knew right away that this was an effort they wanted to get behind, owner Dave Howland said in an email. They brewery plans to split donations between two local organizations - the Worcester chapter of the NAACP and Legendary Legacies, a local organization that provides positive male role models for young men in vulnerable populations.

When the Mass Brewers Guild formed its Diversity and Inclusion committee a year and a half ago, it did so to address and to better understand the barriers that exist within the communities that surround our brewery’s walls.  Taprooms typically serve as gathering places and neighborhood revitalizers. Yet, the employees and patrons in our establishments don’t reflect the neighborhoods they reside in. 

“Historically the craft beer industry has not worked very hard to be welcoming to people of color, and that's something we need to change,” says Katie Stinchon, executive director of the Mass Brewers Guild. “The burden is on us as an industry, as businesses, and as individuals to do better. Our work to look within and create meaningful change continues. The Black is Beautiful initiative is a great first step, one of many that we hope to foster in the years to come.” 

The Mass Brewers Guild Diversity & Inclusion Committee, made up of board members, brewery members and associate members, will continue this important work to bring education and best practices home to the state’s breweries. 

About The Mass Brewers Guild Diversity & Inclusion Committee
The Mass Brewers Guild is committed to ensuring that everyone feels welcome in our breweries - as patrons and employees. We do this by identifying and overcoming barriers to inclusion. We work to create a unified voice that celebrates our collective uniqueness and leverages our differences for a stronger community. Our passion for great beer unites us. Together, we can create an industry that embraces our diversity and is open to all people.

Move Over Lobster Roll, Get A Real Taste of Boston

Live Like A Local guided tours gets people out of the Back Bay 
and into JP, Roxbury & Dorchester 

If you’ve ever visited Boston only to ask a local their advice on where to go, what to see, and what to do, Roxbury native Collin Knight has the answer for you. 

The former New York City tour guide and actor brings his perspective and expertise to tourists through the lens of what it’s like to “Live Like A Local,” during his unique guided tour experiences. Knight created Live Like A Local tours two years ago, with the goal to get people off the beaten path downtown, and instead have them experience the art and culture of Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and Dorchester. 

Tours include, Walk With A Local, A Bite And Drink With A Local, Snack Like A Local and Grub Like A Local and range in price from $35 to $125, and 1.5 to 4.5 hours. The tours focus on the neighborhood’s history while also supporting the local businesses that make up the vibrant community he calls home. Knight wants to bring tourism to these neighborhoods and help the business owners right in his backyard. 

“I can take you to get the best cocktail, Jamaican beef patty, empanada and IPA around. Forget the lobster roll, come taste authentic food from different cultures -- West Indian Roti, Ethiopian and Latin American cuisine,” says Knight. “These tours are for out of towners, new to towners, suburbanites and city dwellers who want to get a flavor for what Boston is really like -- there’s a lot that might surprise you.”

While current social distancing protocols have temporarily sidelined his business, Knight is encouraged that bookings will pick up again soon. The businesses and cultural institutions featured on his tours including breweries, museums, restaurants and distilleries, will need the support more than ever.  

The self-proclaimed craft beer geek also hopes to bring more people of color into local breweries, an industry known to be predominately white. Knight hopes to serve as a bridge to break down barriers, open the breweries up to their communities, and expose people of color to the craft beer scene.  

“I don’t think that black people know that they are welcome. I want to help change that,” says Knight. Knight recently joined the Mass Brewers Guild’s diversity and inclusion committee and is a member of the trade association. The Mass Brewers Guild is the state’s trade association that exists to protect and promote the interests of craft brewers across the Commonwealth. 

“I love craft beer, food and history – and being able to bring all these things together is my passion. People may not know about the really rich brewing history that these neighborhoods have,” says Knight.  “I love telling these stories and showing people another side of these communities.”

Tours are limited to groups of five to adhere to health and safety guidelines, and are completed on foot. This helps tour goers work up an appetite while also following social distance recommendations. Masks will also be required while not eating or drinking. Chartered tours will resume once the state allows groups of 10 or more to congregate. 

“Supporting local has never meant so much. We all need to do our part to ensure that our favorite small and family-owned businesses come out strong on the other side of this health crisis,” says Knight. “If I can play a role in making that happen, all the better.” 

To book a tour, or to learn more about Live Like A Local Tours, visit livelikealocaltoursboston.com or call, (617) 286-6577.