ABOUT B&B
our story
Business And Bourbon started as a fun and educational way for Ronnell Richards to share his experiences and stories as a serial entrepreneur. He felt there was far too much Entrepreneur PornTM out there without a lot of authentic voices sharing real experiences and knowledge to help entrepreneurs and business professionals.
It was his desire to help educate and entertain professionals through sharing his and other business veterans' core truths. He created this platform so the stories and experiences of veteran entrepreneurs and business professionals can be shared.
The focus has always been to educate, entertain and empower others with actionable knowledge and information.
That initial desire to share and help others has now grown to something unimaginable. Business And Bourbon has not only provided a stage for entrepreneurs and business professionals to share those stories, but we’ve also created an amazing community. Through our events, relationships are created and nurtured. Our platforms have helped people all over the globe connect with new colleagues, clients, and network on an intimate level that creates results.
At our core we’re about facilitating relationships and empowering people to do better business.
We’ll never change from that focus.
Become a member and grab a drink!
HOW DOES
WORK ?
Drinks
Food
&
We start with trying out 3 spirits paired with an appetizer
Curated drinks for the occasion
Tasty appetizers
A master taster does provide education on each spirit
Listen
Learn
&
We move onto an expert Q&A Panel hosted by Ronnell
Fireside-chat style panel
The questions are curated from the audience
The people on the panel are thought-leaders and entrepreneurs focused on what the audience wants to learn from them
Panelists have charisma, influence, and tons of experience in their line of work
Mix
Mingle
&
Lastly, we give you time to hang with friends and meet new people
We only pick locations that are conducive to a great time
The vibe is perfect for a night out
Receive a VIP gift bag on your way out
MEET THE TEAM
RONNELL RICHARDS
The Founder
My journey into Sales and Entrepreneurship started at a very young age. While other kids were playing video games, I was learning how to create marketing pieces and balance checkbooks in my parent's businesses. This is where I learned my earliest lessons on intention and focus on outcomes, which has fueled my success and influences everything I do in business.
Fast forward to today, I have a career that has spanned two decades. Over that time I've built successful companies from the ground up. Through that process, I learned to be skillful in all areas of business development and growth. Resourcefulness is in my DNA and now I help others reach their goals and dreams by bringing my practical yet out of the box approach the business and sales. I take the road less traveled because that's the one that leads to success.
ronnellrichards.com
RICHIE MICHAELS
MASTER TASTER
Richie Michaels is widely regarded as one of the brightest young stars in the Bourbon industry. His popularity grew during his time as a corporate taster and educator for Jim Beam, the world’s number one selling Bourbon company. After five years and hundreds of presentations for Jim Beam, he decided to make his services more accessible by starting his own tasting and education company, Whisk(e)y Tasting Experiences. Richie has performed tasting presentations for CEO’s of many major corporations and major league sports stars, and has been featured on TV networks such as NBC, CBS, and ESPN.
letsdrinkwhiskey.com
STEVE BAITY
MASTER CHEF
Stephan C. Baity: father of 4 (Seth, Olivia, Mikayla, and Judah Rose), culinarian, and a proud native of Canton, Ohio. After graduating culinary school in 1999, he spent time at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, MI studying under internationally-known chefs.
Stephan was mentored by some of the greatest in the culinary field and worked in many venues from catering to contract management dining. While he is best known for his creativity and flair for dramatic plating, in recent years he has burst onto the fruit and vegetable sculpting scene.
As the founder of Graffiti Carving, he’s taken home the gold in a number of sculpting competitions. As an artist, he uses the canvas of fruit and vegetables to send a unique message that encourages other culinarians to push the boundaries.
Stephan he been featured on multiple syndicated tv shows as seen on Food Network. In 2020, Stephan traveled to Stuggart, Germany to represent the United States at the Culinary IKA Olympics where he received two diplomas for culinary excellence. Stephan has received numerous metals and awards through the American Culinary Federation including Chef of the Year for 3 years in a row.
SAILOR GUEVARA
MASTER TASTER
Sailor Guevara, a veteran of the spirits and hospitality industry, is the 2020 winner of the World of Whiskey Icon award – bestowed on the individual who most capably advances understanding and appreciation for the craft of whiskey making. She is an author and contributor to American Whiskey Magazine and an acclaimed podcast host and published mixologist.
Sailor’s passion for whiskey and spirits history is unmatched and easily contagious when she’s in a room. In late 2020, Sailor launched her own companies, Sailor Guevara Cocktail Co & Guevara Spirits. Guevara Cocktail Co is the exclusive supplier of cocktails for Business & Bourbon Live Tour Events.
SHELBY IRENE
Creative director
Shelby is a creative professional based in Atlanta native to a small town called Rocky Mount in North Carolina. After completing her BFA at North Carolina A&T State University, a historically black institution, Shelby has pursued career endeavors in creative/ideation, film production, marketing and sales. She has been working with Business & Bourbon since its conception and is driven in teaming up with Ronnell to form a powerhouse and strategically elevate the brand to new heights.
OUR MISSION
Is to set up an atmosphere to allow attendees to connect and collaborate with everyone on an intimate level. A nurturing environment where everyone leaves with something… new knowledge, new friendship, new wisdom.
It's to create intimacy and be an advocate for everyone that attends the event. Everyone feels involved and like they’ve gotten something out of it. No wall-flowers, we make sure everyone is attended to and taken care of. We intentionally focus on the audience, and what they want, instead of panelists talking “at you” they are answering your questions at your level.
We do not do networking. Networking does not help the introvert. We want everyone that attends to "GIVE" something and not just "GET".
PREMIUM PARTNERSHIPS SHOWCASE
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is inspired by the best whiskey-maker the world never knew, the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States, Nathan “Nearest” Green. The Uncle Nearest brand, wholly owned by Uncle Nearest, Inc., encompasses a premium aged whiskey, an 11-year-old single barrel product, and a 7-year-old small batch offering, all distilled, aged, bottled and hand-labeled in Tennessee. The whiskey is currently available in all 50 states and 12 countries (with the ability to ship to 148 other countries), in more than 21,000 stores, bars and restaurants.
Uncle Nearest is the most awarded American Whiskey or Bourbon of 2019 and 2020. Our three ultra-premium whiskeys have garnered more than 150 awards and accolades throughout the world since the brand’s July 2017 debut. These include Spirit Brand of the Year from Wine Enthusiast, Master Blender of the Year from Whisky Magazine, Double Gold at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirit Competition and back-to-back honors of “World’s Best” at the 2019 and 2020 World Whiskies Awards. Uncle Nearest has earned 25 Best in Class honors, including one of the “Top 5 Whiskies in the World.”
Kanda™ Chocolates is a brand of Sage & Alms which is a Black-Owned, Woman-Owned benefit corporation.
We've based our business model for Kanda™ around partnering with the source. We've gone straight to Ghana to make our chocolate so that we can bring you a unique bean to bar experience. Kanda™ Chocolates are grown, processed, packed, and posted straight from Ghana.
Our products are produced from 100% Ghana Cocoa beans and infused with simple, non-genetically modified ingredients.
