BrewSmart: Business Leadership

Matt Shortway is the co-founder of Shortway Brewing Company in Newport, NC. In continuous efforts to increase energy efficiency and lower costs, Shortway Brewing participated in an energy audit with the Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering(CSE3) and within a year they were able to reduce the breweries kW usage and peak demand. Matt currently serves on the ECU CSE3 advisory board with a goal to continually improve business sustainability in NC.

Andrew Coplon is the Founder of Secret Hopper and Craft Beer Professionals. Andrew helps breweries nationwide create more memorable and profitable taproom experiences using data-based insights gathered from thousands of visits. He has successfully built a community of 17,000 Craft Beer Professionals dedicated to the growth and betterment of our industry across the United States. When he isn’t building relationships on Zoom or meeting you for a pint, he enjoys climbing jungle gyms with his son, Max, or planning the next adventure with his wife, Stacie.

Kary Shumway is the founder of Craft Brewery Financial Training.com which offers online resources for beer industry professionals. He has worked in the beer industry for more than 20 years as a certified public accountant and a chief financial officer for a beer distributor and a brewery. 

Craft Brewery Financial Training publishes a free weekly beer industry finance newsletter, offers online training courses on topics such as cash flow planning, financial forecasting, and brewery metrics. For more information visit www.CraftBreweryFinancialTraining.com.

Hardy Lewis is a lawyer who became familiar with the alcoholic beverage industry working in the warehouse and later as a route salesman for his local Miller distributor during his college summers. His experience in the wholesale tier got him assigned to work with his firm’s hospitality industry clients, including the NC Wholesalers’ Association. He has clients in all three tiers of the industry but focuses on NC brewers.

Jud grew up oystering with his father and grandfather in Wrightsville Beach and Masonboro marshes.  It was in these marshes that the trio dreamed up plans for a brewery and oyster house that would be a nod to Wilmington’s rich coastal history, educate patrons about environmental preservation and give back to the community.  Jud developed a passion for the food and beverage industry through several years spent homebrewing and working in Washington DC’s restaurant scene.  When not at the brewery, Jud is best found surf kayaking, oystering or otherwise enjoying the outdoors with his wife, Amber and his two young children.

Tarek Abdel-Salam is a professor of mechanical engineering and the associate dean for research at the College of Engineering Technology at East Carolina University. Also, he is currently serving as the Director of the ECU Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering. Tarek has over 36 years of experience as a thermal engineer and as an educator. He has been with ECU since 2003. His research is in the thermal-fluids area, including alternative fuels, environmental management, energy storage, and renewable energy. Tarek is an active member of multiple professional engineering societies, including ASHRAE, SAE, ASME, and AIAA.

Before officially joining the craft beer industry in 2021 as the Director of Strategic Development for NoDa Brewing Co., Jacob had a nearly decade long career leading teams in marketing, operations, and sales for a international media company based out of Charlotte.  Since joining NoDa Brewing Co. in '21, Jacob has had the privelege and responsibility to build on the shoulders of giants to continue growing his family business.  He is joined in this mission by Chad Henderson (Head Brewer, Co-Owner), Matt Virgil (Director of Operations, Co-Owner), and a best in class leadership team who care deeply about NoDa and the craft beer industry.