Beam Suntory helps drive employment for Black Americans

Beam Suntory is contributing to the efforts of Pronghorn and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) to help drive employment for Black Americans in the distilled spirit's industry. The partnership aims to increase hiring from within the Black community among leading spirit suppliers.

Addressing the employment gap

According to Pronghorn research, while Black Americans represent 12% of alcohol consumers across categories, they make up just 7.8% of the sector’s labor force and 2% of executives in the industry. To address the employment gap, Pronghorn seeks to gain commitments from suppliers, distributors and retailers to fill 1,800 roles within the industry over the next ten years.

This initiative, led by Pronghorn and in partnership with DISCUS and DISCUS Members, seeks to identify qualified candidates from within the Black community to fill positions from internships to the executive level in the distilled spirits industry and associated roles.

Available positions will be posted on the Pronghorn careers website and the career pages of participating spirits suppliers.

Removing barriers for communities of color

Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Beam Suntory, Victoria Russell [pictured above], added: “As Chair of the DISCUS DEI Committee, I’m proud and inspired by our collective efforts to increase representation and drive measurable change among distilled spirits suppliers and ensure equitable opportunities for Black talent within the industry.”

Dia Simms, Co-Founder, Pronghorn, said: "With this first of its kind, industry-wide initiative, Pronghorn and DISCUS will correct the imbalance of underrepresented groups to reflect the market we serve. We are focused on granting access and removing barriers that have put Black people and other communities of color at a disadvantage when it comes to ownership, investing or just working within the spirits industry in general.”

Cultivating the next generation of Black entrepreneurs

Pronghorn is a standalone company focused on cultivating the next generation of Black entrepreneurs, executive leaders, and founders within the spirit's industry, while The Distilled Spirits Council Of The United States (DISCUS) is the leading voice and advocate for the U.S. spirits industry.

Representing the leading producers and marketers of distilled spirits, the Council:

advocates on legislative, regulatory and public affairs issues impacting the distilled spirits sector at the local, state, federal and international levels
promotes the distilled spirits sector, raising awareness and opening markets in the United States and around the globe
encourages responsible and moderate consumption of distilled spirits as part of a healthy adult lifestyle based on evidence-based research and policy