By Dan Pender

Tranice Watts created Lifting Lucy when she was in her early twenties, working in an industry not known for much diversity. Watts, the first Black woman to co-own and operate a craft brewery in the state of Maryland, was on a subcommittee of the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). She noticed an area where people could do proposals for diversity, equity and inclusion. Lifting Lucy has since grown into a network of businesses, organizations, and philanthropists serious about disrupting the barriers of entry and major hindrances toward the progress for Black, Indigenous, and other Women of Color (BIWOC) in the brewing industry.