Trainings and Resources for Craft Brewers

Audra Gaiziunas, M.B.A.

CFO of Crooked Stave and Owner of Brewed For Her Ledger, LLC

Audra Gaiziunas is the owner of Brewed For Her Ledger, LLC, a management consultancy firm focused on providing strategic financial and accounting guidance to the craft alcohol community. She is currently serving as Crooked Stave’s Chief Financial Officer. Prior to launching her own company in 2013, she served as Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s Controller and Mother Earth Brewing’s Chief Financial Officer. She has been working exclusively in craft beer for 15+ years and joined the Brewers Association’s Finance Committee in January 2020. A graduate from the Kenan-Flagler OneMBA program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Audra possesses 20+ years experience in senior leadership roles in craft brewing, manufacturing, services, non-profits, and startups. She earned her undergraduate degree in accounting and business management (double major) from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa in 1997.

Joshua Lance, CPA, CGMA

Founder and Managing Director of Lance CPA Group

Joshua Lance is the founder and Managing Director of Lance CPA Group, a virtual CPA firm that focuses on providing accounting and consulting services to craft breweries. A licensed Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant, Josh is also a family man who calls Chicago home. Before venturing on his own with a mission to help small businesses, Josh spent his early career at Crowe LLP before working as a Controller at an ultra-high net worth family office. Josh is also an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL teaching accounting in the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and McCormick School of Engineering. He enjoys making wine and beer at home, cooking, traveling, and cheering on his favorite football and soccer teams. Josh was honored by being selected to the 2017 class of the AICPA Leadership Academy and was named as one of the 40 under 40 in 2017, 2018, and 2019 by CPA Practice Advisor. Josh was recently appointed to the Illinois CPA Society Board of Directors and the AICPA PCPS Executive Committee.

Kary Shumway

Founder, Beer Business Finance

Kary Shumway is the founder of Beer Business Finance and Craft Brewery Finance, online resources for beer industry professionals. Shumway has worked in the beer industry for more than 20 years as a Certified Public Accountant, chief financial officer for a beer distributor, and currently as CFO for Wormtown Brewery in Worcester, MA. Craft Brewery Finance publishes a weekly beer industry finance newsletter, offers guide books on topics such as cash flow planning and basic budgeting, and an online course to improve taproom profits. The newsletter with a free trial, industry guides and resources are available at www.CraftBreweryFinance.com.

Mary Brettman, CPA

President, Beverage Business Builders

Mary Brettmann is an accounting professional with over 25 years of corporate experience. By combining corporate best practices with entrepreneurial spirit, Mary develops efficient, profitable solutions for her clients and guides their decisions with practical advice and clear financial metrics. Calling on her expertise, she heads up Mobile CFO, a consultancy aimed at helping businesses innovate, automate, and motivate their way to financial success.

Mary is also an expert in financial and operational consulting for breweries and is President of Beverage Business Builders, her company that guides breweries through any stage of their lifecycle: startup, established local, or expanding.

Mary graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota, and holds an active CPA license in Minnesota and California. In prior lives, she was a state auditor, a sales controller, an international treasury professional, a business owner and finally a craft brewing CFO for a fast growing regional craft brewery. Mary enjoys digging in and creating change with every client.

Matthew McLaughlin

Founder, McLaughlin PC

Matthew McLaughlin is the founder of McLaughlin, PC, a boutique commercial law firm specializing in the beverage industry. He has represented breweries and distilleries throughout the Southeastern United States and beyond for 13 years advising clients on business entity formation, ownership structure, startup financing and expansion financing, federal and state regulatory matters, and intellectual property. Matthew also oversees the land use approval process for the construction, renovation, and operation of breweries and distilleries, and drafts and reviews distribution agreements, licensing agreements and employment related agreements.

Matthew also serves as the executive director of the Mississippi Brewers Guild. In April 2017 at the Brewers Association’s annual Craft Brewers Conference, Matthew received the F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award, an award given each year to the individual that aids and supports the causes of small, independent brewers and vigorously defends the craft beer industry.