Testimonials

Karen Hoskin is a very strong voice in the spirits industry. We reached out to Karen to lead a new initiative called Women Leading Rum at rum educational events throughout the nation. She gathers leading female speakers in the industry to be part of her panels. Her symposia about gender, sustainability and the craft spirits industry are full of profound and honest information, and are very well received by our attendees. 

 — Federico J. Hernández, Co-founder of the Miami Rum Conference

I just wanted to thank you for coming to speak to our class on Monday, it was incredibly informative and inspiring. It was really impactful to take what we had been learning in class and see what we've read about in real life applications. I am so impressed by your perseverance and strength, and I strive to emulate your drive in whatever career I hope to pursue. You changed my outlook on women in business as well as the alcohol industry. The way you support women, especially your employees, inspires me to do the same one day.

— Francesca Grandonico, Student atColorado College

Karen Hoskin’s trainings always captivate the room with her knowledge and passion for rum and the incredible brand she created. When providing a training for one of the best bartending groups in the country—Future Bars of San Francisco—every person thanked her for such an impactful training and was able to gain a better understanding of every detail that makes her rum so special.”

—Tanya Hennigar, Division Manager, Young’s Market Company

Karen did a brilliant job of stitching together personal stories, empirical data, and a deep industry knowledge to unpack the complicated topic of women in business. My students left the class fascinated and inspired. Karen is a force for good in the world, and I can’t recommend her highly enough.

—Dana Wittmer Wolfe, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science, Colorado College

Feedback on Karen’s keynote speech at our conference was SO VERY positive. Attendees said her presentation was informative and it inspired many to take (more) personal action—me included—and that’s nothing but positive! Your message was timely and relevant to current discussions going on throughout Arkansas and the nation.

—Melinda Glasgow, Sustainability Officer, Sustainability Summit, Little Rock, Arkansas

I have listened to your podcast with Ilias [The Distillery Nation] many times, each adding to my level of inspiration and excitement, not just for your distillery operations, but also for what you do with your other company, Zoetica. I would love a chance to learn more from and with you!.

—Justin Owens, Distillery owner and bartender, Washington, DC

I just wanted to thank you for coming to speak to our class on Monday, it was incredibly informative and inspiring. It was really impactful to take what we had been learning in class and see what we've read about in real life applications. I am so impressed by your perseverance and strength, and I strive to emulate your drive in whatever career I hope to pursue. You changed my outlook on women in business as well as the alcohol industry. The way you support women, especially your employees, inspires me to do the same one day.

—Francesca Grandonico, Colorado College

Karen Hoskin is a very strong voice in the spirits industry. We reached out to Karen to lead a new initiative called Women Leading Rum at our different rum educational events throughout the nation. She gathers leading female speakers in the industry as well to be part of her panels. Her symposia about gender, sustainability and the craft spirits industry are full of profound and honest information and are very well received by our attendees. 

—Federico J. Hernández, Co-founder of the Miami Rum Conference

Karen brings a bottomless passion for both rum and sustainable business practices to her presentations. Her personal story of her journey to rum is compelling and authentic, and her belief that a successful rum company cannot exist divorced of environmental stewardship is inspiring. Attendees walk away with both a better understanding of rum and a sense of optimism about the future of the category.

-Martin Cate, Rum Expert, Smuggler’s Cove Owner, James Beard Award-winning Author 

Karen has given talks and hosted tours for two of my student groups, and all of us walked away inspired and better informed about the role of sustainability in business, as well as the power of one woman to create positive change. Karen’s integrity, drive, and humility run deep, and she effectively invites people into the sustainability conversation, rather than condescending to or shaming people. Through both Montanya and Zoetica, Karen serves as a role model for taking the initiative to create alternate opportunities to the status quo—whether through waste reduction, or using business (rum) as a force for good.

—Brooke Moran, Western Colorado University Professor, Zen for Business Senior Associate

The talk was awesome and clearly one of the best speakers we have had in several years of doing 4-5 speakers per quarter. The sustainability initiatives of Montanya and Zoetica were inspiring to the students. You are awesome and inspiring. The slides were terrific and enhanced the talk. Your way of connecting to undergraduate students was really impressive. Calm, thoughtful, responsive and inspiring.

-Dennis Wittmer, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

Thank you so much for coming to American Elm this past Monday to hold a small industry training regarding Montanya rums… I enjoyed the round table discussion you held because it was nice to speak directly with you about what motivates and inspires you. I always think that learning about the story is crucial to fully understanding what drives an idea or a product forward. Overall, I really appreciate your supportive and positive intentions that really shine in both your rums and your company ethics. Your exploratory and accepting nature takes away some of the intimidation that I've had in the past when trying to learn more about the spirit industry. Hopefully we will meet again soon!

-Alisha Harris, American Elm