Founder Feature: The Legacy and Story Behind Old Hillside Bourbon | Startup CPG Podcast

Описание: In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Emmanuel Waters and Courtney Tucker, co-founders of Old Hillside Bourbon Company, to talk through one of the most powerful brand stories in CPG today—a premium bourbon brand built on Black history, community pride, and stories that history tried to erase.

Named after Hillside High School, the oldest African American high school in the United States, Old Hillside was born during the pandemic when two cousins who barely knew each other got on a call with childhood friends and decided to build something that would create generational wealth and make their community proud. Six years later, they've broken sales records, won gold and double gold at spirits competitions, and brought families together through the stories they tell—one bottle at a time.

From the Black jockeys who dominated the Kentucky Derby in the 1800s, to the pioneering female jockeys of the early 1900s, to the Harlem Hellfighters—the first African American unit to fight in World War I—Old Hillside lets the stories create the bourbon. And the bourbon is really good.

Caitlin and the founders get into what it's really like to be Black-owned in a $40 billion industry where Black Americans represent less than 1% of ownership, what it takes to bootstrap a capital-intensive brand for six years, and why representing your community means the quality can never be anything less than premium.

Connect with the guests:
Emmanuel Waters — Co-Founder, Old Hillside Bourbon Company
🔗 LinkedIn:   / emmanuel-waters-4740989a  
Courtney Tucker — Co-Founder, Old Hillside Bourbon Company
🔗 LinkedIn:   / courtney-tucker-79918527  
Old Hillside Bourbon Company
📸 Instagram:   / oldhillsidebourbonco  
🌐 Website: https://www.oldhillsidebourboncompany...
Caitlin Bricker — Managing Editor, Startup CPG
🔗 LinkedIn:   / caitlinbricker  

Key Moments:
00:00 Introduction to Old Hillside Bourbon Company
02:46 Founders' Backgrounds and Journey to Bourbon
06:05 The Legacy and Story Behind Old Hillside Bourbon
09:06 Challenges in the Bourbon Industry
11:55 Diversity and Representation in CPG
14:52 Building Connections with Consumers
18:30 The Journey to Premium Bourbon
20:08 Crafting Quality and Storytelling
22:24 Honoring Heritage and Community
23:56 Celebrating Unsung Heroes
26:12 The Fight for Representation
29:50 Building a Brand with Purpose
33:06 The Power of Storytelling in Business

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Stay connected:
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🔗 LinkedIn:   / startupcpg  

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