What is the STEPUP Internship Program?

The STEPUP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, provides underserved and underrepresented individuals with training, encouragement, and opportunities to enter the craft spirits community through a comprehensive internship program.

The purpose of STEPUP is to increase talent through the facilitation of workplace diversity. Specifically, STEPUP, working with distilleries and wholesalers throughout the United States, will provide a comprehensive, hands-on training program with a living stipend and provide job exposure for those of different races, color, national origins, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations.

Successful interns will bring passion, motivation, and an ability to immerse in a program for up to a year, which will expose candidates to all facets of owning and operating a distillery, including working with a distributor.

Daily tasks would include, but not be limited to;

• Learning hands-on about the techniques, information, and science behind the Operations of creating craft spirits in a Distillery and its settings (Floor, Warehouse, Tasting Rooms, etc.)
• Driving daily and shadowing Sales Reps in the field at a nationwide Distributor
• Creating and completing a unique capstone project at a Host Distillery
• Shadowing and learning from Sales and Marketing teams from Distilleries both large and small regarding nationwide and grassroots strategies and Business planning
• Assisting in Customer Service and serving in a Tasting Room at a Distillery
• Participating in various daily tasks that take place at a Distillery; bottling, barreling, blending, tastings, etc.

The STEPUP Internship will reimburse and pay for reasonable accommodations, travel, and transportation costs, as well as pay a living stipend per month.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

Applications for 2024 will open April 15th, 2023 at 12:00am EST and close on September 15th, 2023 at 12:00am EST.

Applications for 2025 will resume on September 16th, 2023 at 12:01am EST.