Georgia Craft Brewers Guild Archives

Dr. Ruben Boling, University of North Georgia, and Caleb Hearn, Opus Affinity

April 16, 2019 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Dr. Ruben Boling, University of North Georgia, and Caleb Hearn, Opus Affinity

00:00 /

**John Ray, Dr. Ruben Boling, and Caleb Hearn**

Dr. Ruben Boling, Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of North Georgia

With over 30 years of combined experience in business and academics, Dr. Boling has developed an expertise in the fields of strategy, entrepreneurship and management. During his business career, Ruben has served in leadership and staff positions for several major companies including Arthur Andersen, Georgia Power and WorldColor. He has also served as owner or co-owner of two different small businesses and as a key partner in start-up initiatives in larger companies and institutions. His managerial and consulting experience has spanned several industries and focused on enhancing or improving strategy, customer acquisition and retention, and operations.

As part of the Mike Cottrell College of Business and as Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Dr. Boling’s primary focus is to promote entrepreneurship and business leadership in the classroom and regional and international business community.

The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Mike Cottrell College of Business at UNG is a collaborative initiative that engages students, faculty and staff across the University, as well as communities within the region who imagine, innovate, start and grow new and existing ventures. The initiatives within the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation are designed to spark entrepreneurial efforts become the go-to place for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs across the north Georgia region.

The University of North Georgia (UNG) comprises five campuses and almost 20,000 students. UNG offers more than 100 programs of study ranging from certificate and associate degrees to professional doctoral programs.

Opus Affinity, a student business founded by Caleb Hearn and Sam Herrera at UNG, provides a means for brands and individual to share their unique amazing stories through their application, unique code recognition software, and direct integration into existing product label design.

Opus Affinity was a top 5 finisher in the 2019 Georgia Inventure Prize Competition.

Birdies and Beer – Episode 2

July 17, 2018 by Mike

North Fulton Business Radio

Birdies and Beer - Episode 2

00:00 /

Welcome to Birdies and Beer, an unique lifestyle podcast featuring all things golf and craft beer! Guests for Episode 2 include Patrina King, Founder of Golf Women Mean Business, and Nancy Palmer, Executive Director of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild.

Patrina King/Founder of Golf Women Mean Business

Golf Women Mean Business (GWMB) is membership-based and is the leading provider of golf resources for beginners, serving the needs of career and business professionals and advancing the participation of women in business golf. They help strengthen the business acumen through business training and create an environment for vetted networking. They also marry business and golf in order to create confidence for women in a male-dominated sport.

Nancy Palmer/Executive Director of Georgia Craft Brewers Guild

Founded in 2010, the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild is organized to promote, protect, and further the common interests of the members and the licensed brewing industry in Georgia. They work with and represent all of the production brewers, homebrewers, distributors, publicans, retailers, and beer enthusiasts who enjoy the brews from their great state! Executive Director Nancy Palmer led a years-long fight to change Georgia’s antiquated beer laws, ushering in major changes in 2017 when Georgia became the final state in the U.S. to allow craft brewers to legally sell beer directly to consumers in their taprooms.

Alcohol Administrative & Regulatory Law

June 17, 2014 by angishields

BRX National

Alcohol Administrative & Regulatory Law

00:00 /

Emily Rowell (Host), Eleanor Benson, Tommy Williams, Nancy Palmer, Taylor Harper

Taylor Harper/Taylor, Feil, Harper, Lumsden & Hess, P.C.

Taylor Harper with Taylor, Feil, Harper, Lumsden & Hess, P.C. Mr. Harper’s practice involves all aspects of commercial litigation, including contract disputes, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, business torts, insurance coverage, landlord/tenant issues, premises liability claims, secured transactions and real estate litigation. His firm has a heavy focus on the hospitality and beverage alcohol industries. Specifically, Mr. Harper assists breweries, wineries, distilleries, importers, brokers, wholesalers, hotels, restaurants, package stores, and others in beverage alcohol administrative and regulatory matters at the federal, state, and local levels.

Mr. Harper graduated from Georgia State University College of Law where he was a member of the Moot Court Board as well as the Student Trial Lawyers Association. During law school, Mr. Harper received several accolades including the Honors Award for Excellence in Litigation, the Nai Award for Achievement in Advanced Evidence, the C.A.L.I. Award for Excellence in Advanced Evidence, the Weltner Inn of Court Star Pupil Award and Scholarship, and the Patrick Wiseman Award for Most Dedicated Moot Court Member. Additionally, during his second year of law school, Mr. Harper was chosen as one of seventy-five students nationwide to participate in the United States Army JAG Corps Internship Program. Mr. Harper earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science and International Affairs from Georgia State University where he was graduated with honors.

When not lawyering, he serves as president and chairman of Maji Mazuri USA, Inc., a non-profit organization which raises funds to support projects based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Buckhead, and he serves on the City of Dunwoody Board of Ethics. Mostly, though, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son and their two labs.

Website Twitter LinkedIn Facebook AVVO

Nancy Palmer/GA Craft Brewers Guild

Nancy is the Vice President of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild and the founder and president of Cork & Key beverage consulting company. Founded in 2010, the Guild is organized to promote, protect and further, in every lawful manner, the common interests of the members and the licensed brewing industry in Georgia. Nancy Palmer is a perennial student of the beverage industry, having spent a decade exploring all facets of the business. Though she’s concentrated on wine for most of her career, she’s found tremendous pleasure in learning about both beer and spirits. Her favorite aspect of the business is certainly education – she enjoys making the complicated and often intimidating world of high-end beverage accessible and interesting for anyone with any background.

Nancy’s career began while working for Five Points Bottle Shop in Athens, Georgia. After graduating from the University of Georgia she worked at several establishments not only waitressing and bartending, but also conducting many wine classes at area restaurants. She then went on to become the wine buyer for Athens’ largest volume package store, Five Points Bottle Shop West. After a very successful stint there, she moved on to try her hand at the distribution side of the beverage business. She worked for Avant Partir representing the best international wine portfolio in the state and became familiar with the best restaurants and shops throughout Georgia and South Carolina.

Website Twitter Facebook

Tommy Williams/Independent Distilling Company, LLC

Tommy Williams is the Chief Operating Officer of Independent Distilling Company, LLC located in Decatur, GA. IDC is the first legal distillery in the Metro Atlanta Area since Prohibition. Along with his business partner Michael Anderson they are focusing on whiskey and rum at the moment and have begun shipping to their distributor for introduction into the market. The first product they are selling is Hellbender a copper pot distilled corn whiskey, the Rum will be available later this summer.

Website Facebook

Eleanor R Benson/Moondog Growlers

A lawyer by training, Eleanor became interested in craft beer back in law school when craft beer meant only Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada & Sam Adams. Twenty years later – she had the opportunity to enter the craft beer business as the co-owner of Moondog Growlers. With three locations and over 100 taps – she is keenly aware of the changes in the craft beer industry as well as the challenges facing brewers and retailers of craft brews. Her love of special beer began way back in the late 80’s while attending GSU law school. Her study group was made up of her beer tasting buddies (fortunately), and together—between bar review sessions—they blind-tasted an array of types and styles of beer (little did she know back then that she was preparing for a career that’s a far cry from practicing law). Eleanor has enjoyed successful careers in law, marketing, and interior design, so she jumped at the chance to combine her background and creativity with one of her favorite hobbies – craft beer.

Website Twitter Facebook