The path to the Board is through volunteership. Each of these candidates has contributed their time and energy to assisting KBI with moving forward significant projects. Please vote for 1 candidate. The ballot has been sent to each company. Each company has one vote. Everyone will need to vote until quorum (51%) of members have voted.

Each candidate has provided a short bio and video statement.

We are pleased to announce our candidates for the KBI Board.

 

Carly Erickson
Owner and Founder
Boro Beverage, T1
Chapel Hill, NC
www.borobeverage.com

Boro Beverage is a woman owned and mission driven kombucha & wellness company based in Chapel Hill, NC. We produce a variety of fermented beverages and health focused products at our facility as well as offer a retail space to our customers. Boro Beverage was born from a love of sustainable agriculture and a desire to fulfill a niche for valued added products. We wholesale throughout NC to breweries, co-op markets and specialty stores as well as retail in our taproom. Additionally, we offer delivery, pick up and at our local farmers market. We are proud to announce we have also been awarded two Good Food Awards for our kombucha this year. We strive to stay connected to the community through meaningful connections as well as educational opportunities such as our brewing classes and workshops. Our goal is to spread the love of fermentation, seasonal eating and to be a staple beverage locally for alcohol alternative options.

Johanna Denne
Production Manager
Luna Bay Booch Co, T2
Golden, CO
www.lunabaybooch.com/

Johanna Denne is currently Luna Bay’s production manager in Golden, Colorado. She is responsible for overseeing all production of all Luna Bay hard kombucha including R&D, quality assurance, forecasting and portfolio expansion. With her expertise in brewing and mixed culture fermentation, Johanna has been integral in scaling Luna Bay to serve consumers coast to coast. Prior to joining Luna Bay, Johanna had been working in production for Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project where she was responsible for building the Lab and Quality Program and last held the role of director of brewing operations. Crooked Stave is known for its world class traditional wild, sour, and spontaneous beers. Johanna completed her B.S. of Chemistry from Metropolitan State University in Denver and her M.S of Chemistry at the University of Colorado.

Matthew Silbert
Quality Assurance Manager
Local Roots Hard Kombucha, T3
Vista, CA
www.localrootskombucha.com

Matthew Silbert manages the quality assurance department for Local Roots Kombucha. He was a marine biologist before his passion for brewing inspired him to a career in fermentation microbiology. Matt joined the burgeoning team at Local Roots in 2019 and has helped the company through major scaleup. He recently expanded his responsibilities to include organic compliance, ingredient procurement and project management.

At Kombucha Kon 2020, Matt was a panelist on the hard kombucha round table. He enjoyed sharing his experiences navigating this new segment of the kombucha industry and felt a great sense of community with the other brewers. He also provided technical support to the committee for the development of the Kombucha Kup.

Matt is excited to be part of an industry that promotes health and well being. He is very aware of how diet affects energy, cognition and overall mood. His vision is to work towards developing a circular production model for breweries to better manage resources as they become more scarce in our growing global population. Health, conservation and community building are some of his core values.

When not at the brewery you can find him surfing, diving or paddling a canoe in the ocean. He just became a father, so these activities are on hold for the moment. Matt will be thrilled to share these outdoor activities with his son, teach him the powerful benefits of healthy eating and the importance of community involvement.

Two of our Founding Board members, Susan Fink & Trevor Ross, are moving in different directions. Now that they have retired from the Board, that means there are 2 seats up for election.

The path to the Board is through volunteership. Each of these candidates has contributed their time and energy to assisting KBI with moving forward significant projects. Please vote for 2 candidates. The ballot has been sent to each company. Each company has one vote. Everyone will need to vote until quorum (51%) of members have voted.

Each candidate has provided a short bio and paragraph.

We are pleased to announce our candidates for the KBI Board.

 

Chris Ollis
Founder
Spring Branch Kombucha, T1
Springfield, MO
 www.drinksbk.com

Our transition from a Brewery In Process to a Tier 1 producer was often chaotic and disorganized, but it was also a deeply rewarding accomplishment. My wife, Jessica, and I co-founded our Missouri Ozarks zbased brewery in 2017. We have learned many valuable lessons about starting a business and becoming part of an emerging industry. As members of KBI, we are committed to producing high quality products and building a brand which pulls customers towards healthier decisions. It would be an honor to serve on the KBI Board of Directors at this important time for our industry. As a brewer who’s still figuring out the best ways to run my own business, I would be a strong advocate for other small breweries on the board. I look forward to collaborating with other members, and one day hope to become a trusted resource.

My professional background is in finance, and I hold the Certified Financial Planner TM certification with 22 years of experience managing investment portfolios for individuals and organizations. Our kombucha business evolved from my beer brewing hobby. After reading The Big Book of Kombucha, I made a few batches and I was hooked. It didn’t take long before I was producing 10 gallons at a time and carrying multiple flavors on tap in our home kegerator. It might have remained a hobby if Jessica hadn’t started sharing it with friends. Soon the demand from other people began to outstrip our ability to produce, and we’ve been trying to catch up ever since!

 

Amelia Winslow, MS, MPH
Director of Project Management
Health-Ade LLC , T4
Torrance, CA
www.health-ade.com

As Director of Project Management at Health-Ade Kombucha, Amelia oversees New Product Development, Sustainability and Community Impact. She has also been integrally involved in Research & Development and Communications. Since she joined Health-Ade in 2016, the company has reduced landfill waste by 30%, become the primary supporter of a garden education program for youth at seven underserved Los Angeles schools, and played a significant role in KBI’s lobbying efforts. Before joining Health-Ade, Amelia founded the blog Eating Made Easy and worked as a personal chef and nutritionist. She holds Master’s Degrees in Nutrition and Public Health from Tufts University in Boston.

For the last two and a half years, I’ve been working tirelessly alongside Hannah on KBI’s lobbying initiative, as our organization works to pass the KOMBUCHA Act. I have truly enjoyed collaborating with dozens of kombucha companies across the category as we unite for a common cause, and believe in the power our companies have if we work on projects collectively. As a board member, I would leverage my lobbying experience as well as my experience as Director of Project Management at Health-Ade, to help execute projects that move our industry forward and protect its interests.

 

Corey Wood
Founder
ELIXIR Kombucha, T1
Louisville, KY
http://www.elixirkombucha.com

Corey is native to Louisville, Kentucky, where Elixir Kombucha is located. Corey grew up skateboarding and playing guitar with his friends (including Ryan, now his partner in Elixir). He met his wife (and partner in Elixir), Danielle, while in high school. They both attended University of Louisville, where Corey received a bachelor’s degree in nursing, which led to a career as an ICU nurse. The intensity of work was offset by a love for reading, writing and home-brewing kombucha. Now, as head of operations at the award-winning Elixir Kombucha, Corey has overseen the scale of the brew from 9 gallons to 1000 gallons and counting.

I would be honored to be a tier 1 board member for KBI. Kombucha brewing was a hobby for me for years before it became a business. While a passion for brewing an authentic, consistent and healthful product will always be top of mind for me, I also understand the importance of building a profitable business and contributing to the strength of our industry. I will carry this passion into my board seat and be a voice for the tier 1 members in our industry, should I be chosen. My company also continues to play a crucial role in the legislative efforts for our industry on Capitol Hill. This has given me a unique perspective on the big issues facing the kombucha industry as a whole. Please accept my candidacy for a KBI board seat.

 

Amy Zeigenfuse
Oregonic Tonic, LLC, T1
Portland, OR
www.oregonictonic.com

I’m originally from Baltimore, but have been living in Portland for 13 years. After a 10+ year career as an RN and LMT, I joined the Oregonic Tonic kombuchery team in December 2016. This small business was started by my husband Dave and his daughter Ally in 2013. We just moved into a second, larger facility as our business continues to grow. We owe part of this growth to KBI. We’ve been members since 2014. We value the evidence based information KBI gathers as well as the networking opportunities. I think it’s really important to have Tier 1 members represented on the board. A large part of KBI’s base are T1 and emerging brands. I’ve been through many of the growing pains these brands will experience and feel like I will be able to representative for them.