Penn State University Park - PA Beverage Industry and Entrepreneurial Opportunities

This panel will explore the opportunities in Pennsylvania to start a business creating, marketing and distributing alcoholic beverages, as well as regulations and considerations, and first-hand experiences from existing business owners.

 

Kathy Kelley

Penn State

Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Business Management
Areas of Expertise                
  • Wine marketing           
  • Produce and ethnic food marketing
  • Retail business management   
  • Consumer attitudes and behaviors pertaining to horticultural goods and services

Education                

Ph.D., Simultaneously, Departments of Horticulture & Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, 2000

M.S., Horticulture, Michigan State University, 1997 

B.S., Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, 1995                                           

Cooperative Extension Educational Focus

As consumer demand changes and as competitive forces increase, it is crucial to inform horticultural stakeholders about strategies they should consider to best appeal to customers. A component of my extension program is to develop business and marketing educational resources (e.g., presentations, fact sheets, blog entries, and webinars) for horticultural crop producers and retailers.   

Molly Kelly

Penn State

Enology Extension Educator
Molly supports the technical needs of the Pennsylvania wine industry and leads educational programming focusing on wine quality. She has lead workshops, including winery sanitation, filtration, microscopy, wine analysis and berry sensory analysis.

Molly’s research has focused on the effect of nitrogen and sulfur applications on Petit Manseng wine aroma and flavor. Her current research includes a pre-harvest, on-the-vine dehydration study in collaboration with Virginia Tech University. Prior to working at Penn State, Molly was the Enology Extension Specialist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. She also held the position of enology instructor at Surry Community College in Dobson, N.C., where she developed the enology curriculum and managed all aspects of the college’s 1,000-case bonded winery. Under her direction, Surry produced numerous international award-winning wines. Prior to her position at Surry, she was a biodefense team microbiologist with the New York State Department of Health.

Ted Liberti

Penn State WPSU Wine Festival

Co-Chair, Co-Founder & Wine Industry Coordinator
Founding, building, marketing & organizing Pennsylvania's 4th largest Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board/PLCB-sponsored wine marketing & education platform with the wine industry's 3-tier system to benefit Penn State's Annual International WPSU Wine Festival, raising over $120K in 3 years to support first-class Penn State Public Broadcasting.

Pro-bono executive, entrepreneurial & marketing roles to thoroughly learn the wine industry & wine marketing inside & out while contributing to a great university & public broadcasting (PBS) cause.

Ted Liberti

Penn State WPSU Wine Festival

Co-Chair, Co-Founder & Wine Industry Coordinator
Founding, building, marketing & organizing Pennsylvania's 4th largest Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board/PLCB-sponsored wine marketing & education platform with the wine industry's 3-tier system to benefit Penn State's Annual International WPSU Wine Festival, raising over $120K in 3 years to support first-class Penn State Public Broadcasting.

Pro-bono executive, entrepreneurial & marketing roles to thoroughly learn the wine industry & wine marketing inside & out while contributing to a great university & public broadcasting (PBS) cause.
For more information, visit gew.psu.edu.