Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Carin Luna-Ostaseski of SIA Scotch Whisky Is Helping To Change Our World
My first recommendation would be to start your business plans with a partner, someone who can complement your skill sets and you can bounce ideas off. Having someone by your side to divvy up tasks and balance business opportunities will only increase productivity and give you great results.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Carin Luna-Ostaseski.
Carin Luna-Ostaseski is one of the first Hispanic founders of a scotch whisky. Her journey as a first generation Cuban American challenged conventions every step of the way, and has inspired others to achieve the unexpected, a mantra that SIA Scotch Whisky now lives by.
In her mid-20s, Carin would not have considered herself a scotch whisky lover. But a friend encouraged her to try something new, and hosted a tasting for her, which changed her life. She then began a grand tour of her local spirits purveyor, sampling over 300 bottles of whiskies and scotches, and falling in love with the category, all while becoming a dedicated student of the spirit.
Carin started hosting tasting events to share her favorite blends with her friends and loved ones, and through this process she realized what the world was missing: an ultra-premium yet affordable and approachable scotch whisky, perfect for the connoisseurs as well as the curious. She wanted to change the way people thought about the category and challenge those old, stodgy conventions. What began as a casual pastime quickly became a life-altering passion.
Carin got down to business, but it wasn’t easy. There was rejection. Lots of it, and it would be a lie to say it didn’t challenge her. But there were also moments of hope — and that’s what pushed her forward.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
In my mid-20s, I would not have considered myself a scotch whisky lover. But a friend encouraged me to try something new, and hosted a tasting for me, which changed my life. I began at a local spirits purveyor, sampling over 300 bottles of whiskies and scotches, and fell in love with the category, becoming a dedicated student of the spirit.
I hosted tasting events to share my favorite blends with friends and loved ones, and through this process, I realized what the world was missing: an ultra-premium yet affordable and approachable scotch whisky — perfect for the connoisseurs as well as the curious. I wanted to change the way people thought about the category and challenge those old, stodgy conventions. What began as a casual pastime for me, quickly became a life-altering passion.
I then decided to get down to business, but it wasn’t easy. There was rejection. Lots of it, and it would be a lie to say it didn’t challenge me. But there were also moments of hope — and that’s what pushed me forward. After much trial and tribulation, I created a remarkably smooth blend that could be enjoyed by everyone.
In 2012, I was finally able to raise enough money on crowdfunding site kickstarter.com. I found a blender in Scotland and in 2013, after years of hard work, SIA Scotch Whisky first appeared on shelves in the US.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
After nearly a decade of donating a portion of sales to organizations that help support entrepreneurs, last year SIA Scotch Whisky formally launched The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund. Inspired by my own journey bringing SIA to life as a first-generation Hispanic woman, this grant program provides small business owners of color with access to capital and mentorship that will help them build stronger companies.
We assumed the $10,000 grants would be the most impactful part of this program, but it’s been really interesting to see how actually the mentorship and networking sessions that I led with the recipients were equally as impactful. Even once the formal program ended, they formed their own community and have supported each other, even to this day. Despite being in different industries, markets and stages of their small business journey, they still lean on each other for advice and insights, and even for partnerships and collaborations.
I’m so excited to share that we just launched year 2 of The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund a few weeks ago, as I believe this will provide additional opportunities for small business owners of color to connect and support each other — beyond the grant money they receive. Applications are open now through 9/26/22 at https://hialice.co/siascotchfund.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
There are terms specific to every industry. As a total outsider, I sat through an entire meeting shaking my head and agreeing with everyone with absolutely no idea what “OND” meant. I immediately googled it when I left the meeting, no results. Finally I got the nerve to ask a friend in the industry. They told me it stood for October, November, December, which is generally the busiest season for any spirits business. I learned right then and there that it is critical that I speak up whenever there’s something I don’t know or understand as it will only impede the progress I’ve built.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Our purpose is to challenge conventions and inspire others to achieve the unexpected. I’m proud to say that for nearly a decade, SIA Scotch Whisky has been committed to donating a portion of sales to organizations that help support entrepreneurs — the dreamers, movers, and shakers who are shaping futures.
In 2021, we formally launched The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund, with a commitment to support minority small business owners. To-date, SIA Scotch Whisky has pledged over $350,000 to support these entrepreneurs of color. The program just re-launched again this August with a focus on the food, beverage and hospitality industry. This groundbreaking grant program offers recipients the opportunity to be matched with the capital, resources and mentorship needed to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
We know that hard work and perseverance is important — but sometimes, you also need a little help from people who believe in you and your dreams.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Carmen Ferreyra of Porteñas was one of last year’s $10K grant recipients. Porteñas is a women-owned business whose focus is to bring Argentina’s unique culture of friendship to the US, through South America’s best-loved beverages, meals and treats. The founder, Carmen Ferreyra, is an Argentinian entrepreneur, independent curator and art producer based in Brooklyn, NY. As an active member of the Immigrant, Hispanic and Queer community of North Brooklyn, Carmen fosters at Porteñas an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome. She and her team are committed to educate her community about racial inclusion and equity involving other non-profit organizations.
With the pandemic directly impacting small businesses around the country, Carmen was in need of funding to be able to acquire machinery to scale up production capacity in order to meet the demand they were experiencing at the time. The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund by SIA Scotch served as a boost to help cover those expenses and provide business growth within their local community. SIA Scotch Whisky supports entrepreneurs seeking out new experiences with bold brands that challenge conventions.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Despite approximately 18.7% of all U.S. businesses being minority-owned, representing over 50% of new businesses started and creating 4.7 million new jobs, this group is still largely excluded in funding — receiving only a 2% share of venture capital annually over the last decade. Small business owners of color have always faced uphill battles, but their challenges continue in today’s climate as they adapt to consumers’ ever-evolving preferences and spending behaviors, adjust to increased at-home demand, and face supply chain disruptions. This is one of the reasons that in 2021 we launched The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund by SIA Scotch — to help support and inspire other underrepresented entrepreneurs achieve their dreams just like I did.
But there’s so much more we can do. As consumers we need to acknowledge the lack of capital that minority entrepreneurs face, invest in small businesses and hire locally — all of this will help us to embrace the cultural diversity that helps define our country.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is understanding and analyzing a situation and then providing guidance to your team taking into account their recommendations. Leaders encourage others to take action for the greater vision.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Entrepreneurship can be a very lonely road. As a first generation Cuban American, I experienced so many uphill battles while launching SIA, from gaining access to mentorship to securing funding to dealing with regulations and securing investors. SIA Scotch Whisky was born out of passion, determination and perseverance — the same characteristics that drive many other entrepreneurs.
My first recommendation would be to start your business plans with a partner, someone who can complement your skill sets and you can bounce ideas off. Having someone by your side to divvy up tasks and balance business opportunities will only increase productivity and give you great results.
Finding or building a community is second. Having people you can trust and feel connected to and represented with is something that can bring so much fulfillment to your life — both personal and professional. Something as simple as sharing similar interests with some of my friends has led us to build stronger connections and support each other throughout difficult times.
Number three is simply save more money than you think you are going to need. Triple that amount! There are always going to be obstacles that are going to cost you more than what you estimated. Plan A can go perfectly or can go completely wrong. Anticipate and be prepared to face some setbacks in the process including investing more than what you thought.
Four — take time for yourself and enjoy the activities you like the most. Sometimes we drown ourselves in our entrepreneurial journeys and we forget about the present moment. Whatever type of self-care fulfills you, it is a great way to reconnect with your inner self and restart your thinking. I personally enjoy flying as a pilot and you can find me flying a Cessna 172 whenever my thoughts need some clarity.
Lastly, find a cause that you really believe in to give back to your community. That is what gets people going. At the end of the day, we all struggle to achieve our goals. Sometimes you might ask yourself “why is this so hard?”, but just think about the purpose behind your brand/company and the people you are trying to help thrive. I believe unapologetically that supporting entrepreneurs on their small business journeys is incredibly important. As a Hispanic entrepreneur building a brand from the ground up, I know from first-hand experience that small businesses of color need broader access to capital, mentorship and community so they can take action, build stronger businesses and have a positive impact on our economy.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could inspire a movement it would be to continue to support entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented and underserved communities. This has been my life’s passion for the last decade, and something I have always felt strongly about. I was very fortunate that last year SIA Scotch Whisky launched a formal support program to bring to life the work I had been doing in an even bigger way — The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund.
Minority entrepreneurs don’t have access to the capital and resources needed to grow their businesses, making them less competitive in the market and less able to compete. We need to start by educating people on the growth that comes to their community by investing in local small businesses and hiring locally. The more we elevate small businesses around us, the better it is for the future of the community.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Just “ask for what you want!” Sometimes we (especially women) feel intimidated to do this, particularly in the workplace, as we might think that people are going to judge us for our curiosity or our level of knowledge regarding a topic. The truth is — you are putting yourself through an obstacle by anticipating a negative outcome. So, whether it’s a promotion, fundraising or a new business opportunity, if you ask for what you want the worst you can get is a “no”. But you will never know if you do not make the first move.
For example, I turned to Kickstarter to ask for funding in 2012 and as a result, SIA Scotch Whisky became the crowd sourcing platform’s most successful liquor launch to-date. Eventually the brand launched on shelves in 2013 and since then it has been challenging conventions and inspiring others to achieve the unexpected.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
If there is someone I would like to have a private meeting with, living or dead, it would be Freddie Mercury. His story and journey is so inspiring and has touched so many people’s lives over the years. He had an unmatched force that united people from all different backgrounds through his lyrics and music and that is still living among us.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
To learn more about SIA Scotch Whisky, please visit www.siascotchwhisky.com or follow us on Instagram at @SIAScotchWhisky
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Carin Luna-Ostaseski of SIA Scotch Whisky Is Helping To Change Our was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.