Leading Beer Forward: Advocacy, Growth, and the Next Generation with Kim McKinnish (NBWA)
Fri Jan 16 2026
In this episode, we hear from Kim McKinnish SVP and COO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) to talk about the future of beer.
Kim shares insights on the current state of the industry, the power of advocacy, and key NBWA initiatives including the BREW Initiative, the Next Generation of Leaders Group, and the Beer First Campaign.
Our conversation explores how leadership, relationships, and culture drive stronger businesses — and what distributors can do right now to build a healthier, more sustainable beer industry.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
An insider’s perspective on the current state of the beer industry and the biggest challenges and opportunities aheadWhat the BREW Initiative (Building Relationships & Empowering Women) is and how it’s helping develop talent across the industryWhy empowering women and building inclusive cultures leads to stronger leadership teams and better business resultsThe purpose behind NBWA’s Next Generation of Leaders Group and how it’s preparing future industry leadersThe leadership skills and mindset shifts the next wave of beer professionals need to succeedAn overview of the Beer Growth Initiative and NBWA’s Beer First CampaignPractical ways distributors and breweries can put the Beer First mindset into action in sales, marketing, and operationsKim’s outlook on where the beer industry is headed over the next 3–5 yearsActionable takeaways for building better teams, better partnerships, and a stronger beer businessDo you need tips and strategies to improve cash flow in your beer business?
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In this episode, we hear from Kim McKinnish SVP and COO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) to talk about the future of beer. Kim shares insights on the current state of the industry, the power of advocacy, and key NBWA initiatives including the BREW Initiative, the Next Generation of Leaders Group, and the Beer First Campaign. Our conversation explores how leadership, relationships, and culture drive stronger businesses — and what distributors can do right now to build a healthier, more sustainable beer industry. In this episode, you’ll learn: An insider’s perspective on the current state of the beer industry and the biggest challenges and opportunities aheadWhat the BREW Initiative (Building Relationships & Empowering Women) is and how it’s helping develop talent across the industryWhy empowering women and building inclusive cultures leads to stronger leadership teams and better business resultsThe purpose behind NBWA’s Next Generation of Leaders Group and how it’s preparing future industry leadersThe leadership skills and mindset shifts the next wave of beer professionals need to succeedAn overview of the Beer Growth Initiative and NBWA’s Beer First CampaignPractical ways distributors and breweries can put the Beer First mindset into action in sales, marketing, and operationsKim’s outlook on where the beer industry is headed over the next 3–5 yearsActionable takeaways for building better teams, better partnerships, and a stronger beer businessDo you need tips and strategies to improve cash flow in your beer business? Get the Beer Business Finance newsletter. Packed with actionable tactics and best strategies you can implement right away to see real results on your income statement.