Rhonda Kallman

Rhonda Kallman became an entrepreneur at the age of 24, when she and Jim Koch founded The Boston Beer Company, the makers of the award-winning Samuel Adams beers. With Koch's great-great-grandfather's recipe and business experience and Kallman's commitment and energy, they built the most successful craft beer company in the world.

As the company grew, Kallman assumed the title of Founding Partner and Executive Vice President of Sales and Brand Development. She built the most admired and best-trained sales force in the highly competitive beer industry. Having personally opened the door for women in the beer business, she continued to pave the way and made an ongoing commitment to women by recruiting and promoting them. The Boston Beer Company's impact changed the beer industry nationally, and today women have the respect and credibility they deserve. In 1990, The Institute for Brewing Studies honored her with its Recognition Award for being the "Pioneering Woman in the Beer Industry" as a testament to her impact.

As founding partner, there was no "ladder to climb," so Kallman built it for herself and others that followed. As a member of the Boston Beer's management committee, executive committee and board of directors, she was involved in all aspects of building the foundation of what is nearly a $500 million company today.

In 1995 The Boston Beer Company went public with a two-tranche offering that included first consumers of Samuel Adams and then the public and investment communities. It was highly regarded as one of the most exciting IPOs in the consumer products industry.

With over $200 million in revenues, Kallman was able to put nearly one third of that behind sales, promotion, and advertising. With a coordinated, integrated message, Samuel Adams Boston Lager quickly became regarded as "The Best Beer in America." The sales and brand development teams made Samuel Adams available and visible in over 65% of the venues nationally.

After securing The Boston Beer Company's strategy and execution plans for the coming years, Kallman resigned in January 2000 to pursue the next challenge.

In April 2001, she founded New Century Brewing Co. to produce and market innovative American beer styles. The company's first brand introduction is Edison Light Beer. Edison's patented formula is made by the man who invented the first light beer in the 1960s.

Kallman saw a gap in the light segment of the market, where less than 1% of the 2000-plus beer brands available in the US are premium or above light beer brands. Light beer is more than 50% of the total beer consumption in the US.

With the emergence of caffeinated beverages, Kallman created Moonshot '69, the first beer with caffeine, to fill an unmet need in the beer industry. Moonshot '69 holds a patent on the process of the addition of caffeine to beer. In 2010, the FDA banned all caffeinated alcohol products with the deliberate addition of caffeine in an effort to stop underage and irresponsible drinking of caffeinated alcoholic energy drinks, of which Moonshot bears no resemblance. Unfortunately, Moonshot was caught in the net that was cast. Subsequently, New Century Brewing Co. could not sustain itself and was forced to shut down in July 2011.

Currently the CEO of McMillan Distillery, Kallman is also a highly sought-after consultant for her expertise in distribution, consumer products, sales and marketing strategies, leadership, entrepreneurial vision, and motivational speaking. Her clients include J. Polep Distributing, Lindsay Goldberg LLC., GETI Capital, Aeronautica Windpower, Tequila Holdings Ltd., McMillan Distillery, DGI Beverages Inc., and Gehrson Lehman.

Kallman has received a Brewer's Association Achievement Award for dedication and service (1997); a CEO Hall of Fame induction for excellence based on accomplishments and entrepreneurial success (1999); an Inc. magazine feature for "25 Entrepreneurs We Love (and What Makes Them Great)" (2004); a Draft Magazine award for "Top 10 Innovators of the Beer Industry" (2008); and Beer Business Daily's coveted Maverick Award for industry leadership (2010). She is featured in the documentary Beer Wars, which chronicles small, independent brewers and their battle against the mighty corporate behemoths of the beer industry (2010) and featured in a book by Bill and Kerry Brett called Inspiring Women of Boston (2011).

Rhonda Kallman has completed Harvard Business School's Owner/President Management Program (OPM) and holds a degree from North Shore Community College.