May 11, 2024
“If you can see,
you can be it.” I believe this adage is a great example of the
value of diversity in all aspects of life. Seeing someone who looks
like you in spaces where most don’t is an unspoken invitation that
you belong there too. When I started dipping my toe into Atlanta’s
craft beer scene, Jen Price was the first Black woman that I
encountered. I was immediately intrigued by her and might have
stalked her Atlanta Beer Boutique profile on Instagram before I
even had my own beer account.
Over the years, I have had the pleasure of following Jen’s journey
(and writing about it). In 2020, she came so close to opening the
Atlanta Beer Boutique, a concept she had worked on for years but
ultimately had to put on pause after the pandemic pushed everyone
into their homes. Along with a place to buy and drink beer, the
Atlanta Beer Boutique would also allow Jen and others to host
educational workshops.
But as you’ll hear in this episode, Jen turned her lemons into lemonade with her newest venture, Crafted for Action, an organization focused on providing real solutions for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the beer community. That’s primarily done through its signature event, CraftBeerCon, a hybrid conference combining a diverse array of participants, engaging panel discussions, and interactive workshops. With CraftBeerCon now in its third year, I thought it was the perfect time to share Jen’s journey with you in her own words.
You’ll hear her describe how she transitioned from building the boutique to creating one of the most diverse beer conferences in the United States, welcoming a host of BIPOC and women panelists and attendees. We dive into the different aspects of the conference and what participants can expect this year. As Atlanta natives, we couldn’t end our conversation without talking about a city that we love so much and what it is that makes it special in general and how it relates to beer.