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Bourbon Women Association offers scholarships

Non-profit the Bourbon Women Association has created a scholarship programme to support women and underrepresented communities.

Bourbon Women Association
The scholarship programme will support women and underrepresented communities in the Bourbon and spirits industry

The Bourbon Women Association announced the new Amber Circle Diversity and Inclusion Initiative during its Siposium conference. The initiative builds on the association’s Amber Circle mentoring programme, which started in 2019.

Maggie Kimberl, Bourbon Women president, said: “We are so fortunate to be able to work in an industry that is always embracing change, and opening the doors to others so they can join us is one of the core missions of the Bourbon Women Association.

“I am thrilled to be able to use the power of this first-ever female whiskey consumer organisation to support women in growing their careers.”

The initiative will begin with a donation campaign to raise scholarship funds. The association is encouraging individual donations of US$250 and corporate donations of US$1,000 or more.

The first group of the Amber Circle Diversity and Inclusion intake, comprising 12 women, will receive training through the Stave and Thief programme.

Established in 2014, Stave and Thief was the first Bourbon certification programme recognised by the Bourbon industry. It is also designated by the Kentucky Distillers Association as its ‘official Bourbon education course’.

Heather Wibbels, board chair, commented: “Discovery happens when you push boundaries. Amplifying the voices and experiences of the underrepresented in the Bourbon community encourages the Bourbon industry to reach out and invite more diversity in their outreach to consumers and their own companies.

“We’re reaching out to members of our community and the whiskey spirits industry to support this initiative to advocate change from the ground up.”

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