Happy Hour

ACG New York is excited to be partnering with the following companies for our 9th Annual Woman of Leadership Summit Happy Hour. These female founded, run, and/or co-founded companies have generously donated their time and products or provided them at a discount for this event. In keeping with our conference's theme, we look forward to introducing you to each of them, their companies, products, and the stories of how they got to where they are today and what's in store for tomorrow!
 

Our Happy Hour Partners

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Founder, Mara Smith, a former attorney in Chicago, started drinking tequila when she was looking for a clean, gluten-free spirit that fit into her active lifestyle. She and her friends enjoyed the versatile, carb-free and zero sugar spirit but they were not drawn to the traditional offerings. For years, Mara searched for a tequila brand that was additive-free with a look, taste and aroma that appealed to her and that she could share with her friends and family and proudly display on her bar. That perfect tequila simply did not exist, so she decided to create one.

Mara went to work studying the industry, and more importantly researching and testing what mindful consumers like her were looking for in a tequila. Her goal was to create a clean, smooth and sippable 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila without any of the additives often found in other tequilas, and with every detail thoughtfully crafted, from the meticulous production process to the sophisticated and sleek bottle that is easy to hold and pour.

There was only one person Mara knew who could create this innovative new tequila, the legendary Ana María Romero Mena, one of the most respected master distillers in the tequila industry in Mexico. Together they tasted, tested, and refined different approaches until they arrived at a truly inspired and unique spirit. Mara and Ana María are not the only women involved in developing Inspiro. Women are part of every aspect of our brand, from production in Mexico to getting bottles on the shelves. We are also proudly women-owned certified by WBENC.

Our name comes from the Spanish word for “inspired.” From our sleek and sophisticated bottle, to our female-led team, to our mission to support and inspire other female founders to follow their dreams, our goal was not just to create a one-of-a-kind tequila, it was also to make women feel seen and relevant in industries where they have long been underrepresented. Read more about our initiative to give back, The Inspiro Purple Bicycle Project.


 

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Lifetime Vintage has reimagined wine experiences through sommelier-led virtual and in-person events, blind tasting kits, and our curated online wine shop with nationwide shipping. We provide an enjoyable and interactive solution for corporate happy hours, client events, and team-building activities by making wine accessible, educational and fun to large groups or individuals.

Jordan Cook, co-founder and CEO of Lifetime Vintage, wears many hats at the company, from product through to finance. She leads the company’s product development efforts, both in managing engineers as well as coding herself. She strategizes about the brand and identity of Lifetime Vintage and infuses it into the website, marketing & public relations outreach, and partnerships with other brands. Jordan also leads the company’s finance department, which ranges from building financial models to creating investor decks.

Prior to founding Lifetime Vintage, Jordan was the Head of U.S. Client Strategy at a financial technology company called Jacobi. She also previously worked in the investment world as a Portfolio Analyst at Brown Advisory. 

 

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Luna Bay was born out of a desire to make a change in the alcohol industry – to brew something better for ourselves, our minds, our planet. From that desire, we created a naturally brewed hard kombucha with wholesome, ethically sourced ingredients.

Luna Bay was started by a team of women passionate about wellness, adventure, community and fun – and we plan to spread those values through simple, honest, boozy booch. We were the first of its kind to be produced and distributed in Chicago. And now we are proudly on shelf coast-to-coast. All products are gluten free, low in sugar, vegan and naturally fermented to 6% for a boozy bite.

Luna Bay is the first and only female founded, female run hard kombucha company in the United States. We have built a team and community of people who share a united goal of creating exceptional products, contributing to health-minded initiatives, and using our products and people to bring communities together.

Luna Bay donates 1% of total sales to environmental nonprofits that help preserve our planet, and our team is dedicated to lifting our local community by partnering with and supporting Chicago programs like I Grow Chicago and The Brave Space Alliance.

 

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Sassaia is the interchange of Italian terroir, French wine making finesse and US Enologic knowledge. Our foundations are rooted in the collaboration between Enrico de Alessandrini, descendant of a noble family from Trento with roots in Capriata d’Orba, and fifth generation wine maker Pierre Naigeon of Gevrey Chambertin.

Sassaia blends old world wine making traditions with modern techniques to craft elegant, fruit forward wines with low residual sugar and natural sulfites. We believe in using science to understand how to minimally intervene in both the vineyards and winemaking. We are SQNPI certified for our sustainable practices.  We employ the use of indigenous yeast, dry farming and solar energy. Sassaia uses the latest technology to enhance fruit forward qualities by employing tracking technology that aids in timing of harvest and fermentation processes.

Gigi Spumante, the sparkling wine served at the WOL Summit, is named after Enrico’s father, Portofino physician in the 1950’s and later the Italian Vice Consulate in the US.  It is a white sparkling wine made from Cortese grapes. The selection is made by hand and is part of the early harvest to ensure proper balance between acidity and natural sugar for a dry sparkling Brut. The wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks and stays on the lees for 7 months earning “Spumante di Qualita’” status. It is bottled under pressure to maintain its effervescence. On the palate, this Spumante is crisp with lemon, pear and white flower notes.

 

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Our goal for 21 SEEDS is more than just a delicious tequila: we want it to inspire you to gather your tribe of friends new and old, cross borders, share ideas and make connections. It’s the seed of something bigger.  

Kat Hantas, CEO of 21 Seeds shares her story of how this tequila company came to be: "I created 21 SEEDS because it’s what I wanted to drink – something smooth, simple and casual with fresh, natural flavor that made drinking tequila as approachable as a glass of wine. Before it was a brand it was just a couple of bottles infused in my kitchen with things I had on hand. Cucumbers, jalapeños, oranges, and grapefruit all worked in tequila cocktails, so why not just add them straight to the tequila? I’d bring a bottle to a party, and before long we’d all be sitting around the table drinking our tequila spritzes in our beloved wine glasses, sharing stories and laughing at old jokes. Friends asked for bottles of their own, and they shared them with their friends. What began as one bottle turned into dozens…and eventually a new beginning. So, I knew I had to think bigger. I called my sister Nicole and our friend Sarika, and we started talking about the possibilities. We found one owned and predominantly staffed by women – a perfect fit. We worked on different infusions and got each recipe just right. We came up with a name. Two sisters, one friend, all natural: 21 SEEDS was born."

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2 Chicks with Chocolate creates artisanal chocolate hand-crafted with fresh cream, no preservatives or fillers. These chocolates can be custom made to fit your order. Classes, events and parties available - in person or virtually.

What do you do when life hands you lemons? Well, if you're 2 Chicks with Chocolate founder Elyissia Wassung's mom, you by-pass the lemonade thing entirely and go straight for the chocolate! When a disabling car accident left her unable to commute to work, Elyissia's mom turned to making chocolate in her kitchen as a way to bring home the bacon! Elyissia would load up her shopping cart and venture down her Queens, New York, blocks going door to door to sell all she could, until one day some neighborhood bullies stole her candy and her money! She learned then that the risks of owning one's own business were greater than she thought, but by then she was already bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and well-launched in the chocolate business!

Following her Mom’s advice to "never take no for an answer", Elyissia knew she would follow her heart and make a change. Despite being in a lucrative telecom job while managing her chocolate business, Elyissia decided to get really serious about taking the chocolate industry by storm. She left her telecom job and has been happily immersed in the chocolate world ever since. Her goal is to bring inspiration through chocolate and to make 2 Chicks a household name that people will not soon forget!

The other "Chick" is Elyissia’s Mom, Barbara – also known as "Chick 2".

Elyissia’s Mom set the high standard for chocolate for Elyissia at a very young age. In their Queens, NY they had quite a following, and at a very young age, Elyissia remembers telling her Mom that she should make a true business out of it. Who knew that at such a young age Elyissia was already on her way to deciding her career path?