Leadership, Trends & Transformation in Beverage

The beverage industry is experiencing revolutionary change. Join our expert panelists to gain insight into today’s market trends and evolving consumer dynamics across the beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic categories. As you explore the transformation shaping the industry, enjoy a curated beverage tasting that brings these trends to life in an engaging and interactive experience.

Guests warmly welcomed.

Cristina Desmond, Regional Vice President, Breakthru Beverage Group
Experienced Beverage Alcohol executive. 

Maggie Lapcewich
Maggie is a 35+ year C-suite executive and board member of the beverage alcohol industry where she held Sales, Marketing and Corporate Strategy leadership roles at Breakthru Beverage Group, the 2nd largest beer, wine & spirits distributor in North America and Diageo Plc, the largest distiller of spirits globally.  Maggie will moderate and lead an interesting discussion with a talented group of expert panelists.

Esther Park, VP of Portfolio, InvestBev
Esther Park serves as the VP of Portfolio at InvestBev, where she specializes in accelerating high-growth brands and optimizing operational strategies within the adult beverage sector. A seasoned leader in P&L transformation and brand scaling, Esther previously held key marketing and commercial operations roles at industry giants Molson Coors and Bacardi.

Her career is rooted in a chemical engineering foundation and extensive CPG leadership experience at Procter & Gamble and Revlon. This unique background allows her to bridge technical, operational, and consumer-driven strategies to fuel sustainable brand growth. As an investor, Esther leverages her holistic expertise to identify market opportunities and provide strategic oversight for the next generation of beverage leaders.

Mara Smith, CEO and Founder of Inspiro Tequila
Mara  Smith is a former attorney, corporate strategist and stay-at-home mom who is the founder of Inspiro Tequila.  Mara began her legal career at Mayer, Brown & Platt  in Chicago before joining the corporate strategy team at McDonald’s Corporation.  

After her twins were born prematurely, Mara made the difficult decision to leave the corporate world to stay home.

She never stopped thinking about what was next.  Mara always envisioned running her own company and in February of 2020 she set out on her journey to create a new tequila brand, Inspiro Tequila.