Grant Recipients

The Hop Forward Society works to create opportunities for underrepresented groups. We offer three different grants on an annual basis. These grants are available to anyone who is Black, Indigenous, racialized, and/or part of the LGBTQ2S+ or disability community. Meet our past grant recipients below!

2021-2023

  • Jenna works in the craft beer industry. She is a queer lesbian woman and sees not just the opportunity for the brewing industry to change, but the opportunity for her to play a supportive role in that change. She intends to use the money awarded to take her first-level Cicerone. Achieving this goal would allow her to develop educational programs for other people who work with and under her to improve their knowledge as well. She is eager to be in this industry, encourage and support expanding DEIA in craft brewing, and use her platform to provide opportunities and uplift those around her.

  • Steve is attending the Olds College Brewmaster program and hopes to finish that next year. They have noticed first-hand the lack of diversity in the brewing industry. Not seeing himself represented has motivated them to get to a place where his presence shows people that they too can be in this industry and succeed. The cost of school has been their biggest barrier to moving forward and they plan to put this grant money towards their tuition and books in the program. Their passion for craft beer and sharing it with others will truly help to bring this industry closer to being truly inclusive and equitable.

  • Chihyung is a second-year student at the Olds College Brewmaster program. They have an appreciation for the spirit of the craft beer industry. It is their belief that their presence and success within the industry will serve to help encourage DEIA in craft beer. They will be using this grant money to enable them to go after their second-level Cicerone Program which will act as a boost to their career and improve their craft. Their long-term goals in the craft brewing industry are to open their own brewery in Calgary that combines their love of where they come from in Korea, craft beer, and where they are now that will be a “harmonized place for all”.

2022-2023

  • Greg is currently working in the craft beer industry. With this grant, Greg plans to continue their education in the craft beer industry and further their knowledge and expertise as a beer educator and advocate. As a person who identifies as Pansexual/Queer and who is Hearing Impaired Greg is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the beer industry, and has already been working towards this goal through their social media channels, workplace, and personal life.

  • Shivani has been working within the craft beer industry in Alberta for several years. They plan to use the funds to create to organise, shoot, edit and provide 'stock' images for craft breweries of Alberta to use in their marketing that include all kinds of people, in the hopes of evolving the typical 'craft beer drinker' stereotype into a more accurate picture of who really drinks craft beer today. As a marketing professional in the craft beer industry and a South-Asian woman, Shivani highly values representation in media and believes that the visual representation of this in marketing and social media assets would be a step in that direction.

  • Megan is an Old’s College student with aims to open a brewery that showcases their values and is an inclusive and accessible space. Megan wants to advocate for diversity within the brewing industry as a bisexual woman, and to work towards breaking through existing stereotypes.

2023-2024

  • I am a passionate brewmaster and a dedicated student of Brewery Operations Management. My journey into the fascinating world of brewing started as a hobby with homebrewing, which quickly grew into a deep professional commitment. My expertise not only spans the art of brewing but also extends to distilling, where I enjoy creating unique spirits. I am continually driven by a desire to innovate and refine the techniques used in both brewing and distilling. With the support of the Hop Forward Society Grant, I am eager to share my innovative spirit and technical knowledge with a wider audience and to make a meaningful impact in the brewing community.

  • I am from Edmonton, AB and have a competitive sports past in Lacrosse & Hockey. I entered the craft brewing industry in 2021 and have just completed the brewmaster program at Olds College this spring. I will be using the grant towards my student loans. I wish to be a positive role model for the Metis community. I strive to continue to learn and advance in this industry, with the ultimate goal of opening a brewery with my wife in the future.