3 Tier Beverages
3302 North Lincoln Avenue, #153 Chicago IL, 60657
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My career in the beverage industry started out on the retail side working at bars and restaurants in Chicago until my first supplier job with SAB selling Pilsner Urquell previous to their acquisition of Miller Brewing Company. Opportunity to build out a new sales team at Goose Island led me there during their transition from an externally led sales and marketing organization to recreation of an internal team. My next move was to Heineken/USA as a part of the Star Brand Imports team managing distributors along with developing and implementing the annual business plans across the Midwest. When Heineken made the decision to close our import division it led me back to craft beer and to Dogfish Head where the middle of America became my home managing their distributor side of the business along with On Premise National accounts. My final stop before beginning this next step was at Revolution Brewing back home in Chicago for the last eight years building out their sales, marketing and logistics side of the business from case zero. 3 Tier Beverages is based out of the Logan Square neighborhood in Chicago where it shares office space with a wife, two daughters and a 100lb Chocolate Labrador who thinks he is a lap dog. 3 decades of genuine, authentic and real experience in the beverage industry working for you.
Joe Sepka is a seasoned leader and data strategist in the beverage industry, bringing years of expertise in analytics and business planning. He is the Director of Client Success of 3 Tier Beverages, an adult beverage consulting firm established in 2019. The firm specializes in providing sales data reporting and analytics, supporting over 300 clients navigate the complex and ever changing adult beverage industry.
Before joining 3 Tier Beverages, Joe served as the Data Director at Revolution Brewing, where he standardized reporting processes and leveraging scan and depletion data to support strategic sales goals for the company.
Prior to Revolution, Joe’s career began with a strong foundation at PepsiCo, where he spent eight years in various strategic roles including the implementation of SAP for demand planning, managing marketing budgets for Gatorade, and providing financial analysis and sales strategy support for the Tropicana business unit.
Joe is based out of the greater Chicago area, now enjoying suburban life with his wife and sons after spending 15 years in the city.
I was born in Calgary and moved to Toronto where I graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University. Once a graduate, I relocated to Mission Viejo, California in 1993 where I reside today.
I have a wealth of experience in the Beverage Alcohol industry, analyzing trends over many years. I formerly headed the Nielsen’s Beverage Alcohol Practice Area in the U.S, where I led teams that supported relationships with Nielsen’s clients (suppliers, importers, distributors, and retailers) as well as key industry groups and the media. In that role, I succinctly provided data driven analysis and insights, focused on the U.S. marketplace environment and consumer/shopper.
I regularly provide analysis services to companies seeking to translate market data into fact-based insights in support of their goals. Each year, I present at a large number of notable industry and company events, and am a frequent thought leader contributor to the media/press. My informed opinions are highly respected by the beverage alcohol industry.
I most recently served as the Vice President of Research at the Beer Institute in Washington, D.C. With a strong background in leadership, project management, data analysis, and marketing analytics, I have shaped industry strategies and driven impactful research initiatives. In my previous role at NielsenIQ, I led the Beverage Alcohol Practice, focusing on thought leadership and industry insights across beer, wine, and spirits. My previous roles at NIQ included managing major accounts like MillerCoors, Heinz and Kellogg.
I am passionate about the beverage industry and my ability to drive data-informed strategies shaping the industry’s future with my expertise and insights.
I bring a wealth of experience in category leadership and data analytics, particularly within the beverage alcohol industry. During my four years at RNDC, I supported both internal sales teams and retail partners by leveraging data-driven insights to solve business challenges. I am adept at compiling and analyzing data, identifying trends, and translating complex information into actionable strategies and opportunities.
Prior to my tenure at RNDC, I spent over 16 years at NielsenIQ, where I honed my skills in consumer insights, advanced analytics, and business development. My extensive experience includes a decade focused specifically on the wine and spirits sector in New York City. During this time, I established myself as a strategic partner to clients, demonstrating my ability to deliver valuable insights and drive business growth.
I currently reside in South Florida with my husband, Neal, and our two Boston Terriers, Lucy and Mack. My analytical prowess, coupled with my strategic mindset and industry expertise, undoubtedly positions me as a valuable asset within the beverage alcohol sector.
Coming out of college I joined a South Jersey Vodka Distillery working in sales and everything day-to-day. Once Covid hit, I took a position in small E-Commerce store, and from there I landed in the start-up world focusing on Project Management. It was in that position I learned how pivotal data was in the overall success of an organization allowing for major insights into where to deploy focus. Looking to move to a more analytical role, I stumbled upon 3 Tier Beverages thinking it would be a great fit for what I was looking for.
I am a Stockton University graduate, holding a degree in Computer Science. For several years I was an ocean lifeguard on the beaches of South Jersey where I competed in athletic competitions. I am big on sports (especially fantasy football), the gym, a little bit of a chess nerd, and love the summer. Excited to join the 3 Tier Team!
I began my career as a Candor Health Education’s first Business Development Representative. Now, at 3 Tier, I have been eagerly working as our Chief of Staff to maintain team workflow, streamline communications, and manage revenue.
I have gained experience in various fields including social media management, writing newsletters and client contracts, organizing webinars/events and building and implementing our CRM to aid in project coordination. Additionally, I assist in managing billing processes, payroll, healthcare/insurance, and 401K contributions. I strive to create seamless operations here at 3 Tier Beverages and cannot wait to grow with our team!
In my free time you can find me running, walking, and/or biking around Chicago, hanging out with my cat Albert, or playing my bass guitar.
I grew up in Massachusetts and yet I’m a Yankees and Giants fan. I studied Wildlife and Fisheries Science at Penn State and I somehow most recently worked at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, North Carolina. And my pre-Beverage Alcohol career was in informal science education at SeaWorld Orlando, Mote Marine Laboratory (Sarasota, Florida), and Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
It’s been an interesting and circuitous route landing at 3 Tier Beverages. While working in Bev-Alc retail for two years after Disney, I fell in love with the craft beer industry. Starting at Highland as the Florida Field Sales Rep, my wife and I moved up to Asheville after about four years, where I covered Upstate South Carolina. I then led a team that covered FL, SC, and central NC until I moved into Business Development.
I am passionate about using data to help make informed business decisions across the three-tier system. I have experience providing market insight for chain presentations and distributor Annual Business Plans. I have worked across all brewery departments – helping plan production, implement portfolio changes, and allocate limited releases. And I have overseen pricing, promotion, freight, and margin to maximize profit.
I love my wife – Erin, our two dogs – Raven and Mozzarella, and College GameDay.
I have been a professional data wrangler for over 25 years. With roles in data operations, custom and syndicated data solutions, and data related services, I thrive on solving challenges with data transformation, storage, reporting, and delivery.
Over my years working for Perishables Group as Data Services Manager, Director, and Specialist, the end-to-end data pipeline was in my command from raw collection to our client- facing web application.
Perishables Group was acquired by Nielsen, where post-transition I transferred to Nielsen Statistical Operations team, developing project-specific database automation to support market definition analysis, quality control and delivery utilities in a SQL server environment.
I am a self-taught SQL developer, category analyst, DBA, and Excel guru with natural aptitude for spotting potholes in the road ahead, the trap door out of the maze, and the story in the data. I grew up in the south subs of Chicago. I’ve lived in Austin and in Portland where I came to appreciate how a local vibe can make or break a brand. My partner and I now call northwest Indiana home with our four rescued dogs and three “not my cat” cats.
I look forward to supporting the growing success of 3Tier Beverages!
I started out my career at 84.51 on their Insights team where I supported emerging CPG brands in leveraging Kroger household data to guide customer-focused assortment, promotion, innovation and digital strategies.
I then moved into a role supporting national CPG brands, primarily in the beverage space, to run more complex analyses and develop automated dashboards.
After supporting clients on numerous new item presentations and being exposed to the power of BASES innovation research, I joined NIQ on the BASES BevAl team. While I learned to love the BevAl industry, I missed working in a data platform to support clients run various analyses, specifically those related to retailer relations which led me to 3 Tier.
I graduated from Miami University with a degree in Marketing, and live in Cincinnati, Ohio with my husband (also a Miami grad, so we are mergers!). We have an 8-month old son, John, and two cocker spaniels, Bailey and Phil.
I started my career at Pets.com in the peak of the original dot com boom. After the subsequent bust, I joined Nielsen where I spent 9 years in client management and then custom analytics consulting. I worked with Food and Bev-Al clients from small to global. I left Nielsen to join Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits where I spent another 9 years managing their syndicated data and custom analytics projects.
As part of the Great Resignation in 2020, I left Deutsch to start my consulting career and to spend more time with family. I now consult for a variety of Wine and Spirits clients, focusing both on helping smaller brands with their data and insights needs, and on helping larger suppliers with managing their custom analytics projects.
I got my passion for wine from my grandparents who had me managing their wine cellar spreadsheet before I was a teenager, but I was born with my passion for data and analysis. My degree is in Civil Engineering from UC Davis.
I am an avid world traveler, having been to all seven continents. When not working or traveling, I love spending time with my rescue greyhound Opus, cheering on my SF Giants, and hiking in Lake Tahoe.
I have been part of the CPG industry for nearly 3 decades and I am very eager to begin focusing solely on the Beverage sector.
I had spent my entire tenure at Cicana (formerly known as Information Resources, Inc) working first as a custom data manager, tasked with designing, and maintaining client databases. After learning how client’s data was developed, I shifted my focus to Client Insights. There I was able to train our clients and help them read the data and apply it to the overall health of their business. From there, I focused on Client Service, which was a sweet spot combination of my database manager and Insights experience. I most recently worked with such clients as JM Smucker, Kind Snacks, and Vita Coco among others in that Client Service role. Looking for a change, I happened upon 3 Tier Beverages which presents a great fit for what I was seeking.
I was born and raised in the South Suburbs of Chicago and currently reside in Northwest Indiana. I enjoy any vacation that involves a beach, going to sporting events, and fests in the summer! I’m very excited to be part of the 3 Tier Team!
Born in the Portland, Oregon, area, I grew up in a unique household. My mother worked in finance and sales, while my father worked as a Journeyman Contractor and restored classic Volkswagens on his time off. I continue to keep that passion alive by continuing to help my Dad during my off time. My love for the Bev-Alc industry started when I worked with my mom during her time as a district salesperson for Rocky Patel Cigars. One of the core complementary items often sold together with Cigars were different spirits that paired together and accented one another’s flavors. In my own career experience, I worked in a food cart pavilion as a chef and general manager for five years, where we collaborated with the bar next to us to pair our food with various local beers and ciders that rotated through.
This passion continued as I entered an internship through “The Script,” which connected me to the opportunity to work for the American Cider Association as a consumer data & market researcher. Through my time there, I was introduced to the true world of the Bev-Alc industry and the passion that so many individuals put into their work each and every day to make their products. This love changed my entire mindset for my career path and helped me switch to the Bev-Alc industry and find the opportunity to help more businesses continue to thrive. It was also through the ACA that I was able to connect to 3-Tier and be able to do just that!
I am graduating from Portland State University this June 2024 with my degree in Business Technology & Analytics. I love playing basketball, creating new culinary dishes for my wife to taste test, and going to concerts. I am truly excited to start my new career here with the 3-Tier team and be able to help others find the right insights for their business to prosper!
I graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in May 2024. After graduation, I decided to stay for one more year to earn a Master’s Degree in Data Analytics. During college, I spent my summers on the Jersey Shore, where I worked in a restaurant and later for a South Jersey brewery. At the brewery, I interned in data analytics, developing in-depth analytical dashboards using past sales data to optimize sales and production. During this internship, I realized the importance of data analytics in the beverage alcohol industry and knew I wanted to pursue this field as I began my career.
At Saint Joe’s University, I played four years of competitive ice hockey. In the winter, I love to ski, and in the summer, I enjoy spending my days at the beach or on the golf course. I’m very happy to be a part of the 3 Tier Beverages team!
I graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in May 2025 with a B.S. in Business Analytics and a concentration in Information Management. My passion for analytics began during my sophomore year after taking my first statistics course, which inspired me to become a Supplemental Instructor for the class for over a year.
My interest in the beverage alcohol industry was sparked during my time abroad in Florence, Italy in 2023, where I was introduced to the rich history and process of winemaking. This passion grew even further through my internship as a Sales Analyst at 3 Tier Beverages from April 2024 to May 2025. In that role, I gained hands-on experience analyzing data and following key trends in the beverage alcohol space.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, I love to travel and explore new cultures whenever I can. I’m excited to officially join the 3 Tier Beverages team and can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes me!
A lifelong resident of the Chicago suburbs, I’ve called Saint Charles, IL home since 2015. With over 30 years of experience in data, including expertise in SQL and data quality testing, I bring both deep knowledge and a collaborative spirit to the 3 Tier Beverages team.
Before joining 3 Tier in 2025, I spent over a decade at NielsenIQ, starting with The Perishables Group, which was acquired early in my tenure. During that time, I worked closely with industry leaders and played a key role in integrating new retailer POS data into the NIQ data factory ensuring accurate reporting and actionable insights.
I am a marketing and UX/UI professional based in Chicago. I’ve worked across both B2B and consumer-facing industries, including commercial real estate, healthcare, law, retail, food and beverage, and nonprofits. My background spans branding, digital marketing, and user experience design.
I hold a B.A. in Marketing with a minor in Graphic Design from Illinois Wesleyan University, and I earned a certification in UX/UI Design and Coding from Northwestern University. At 3 Tier Beverages, I bring together design and strategy to support data-driven marketing solutions for beverage brands.
Outside of work, I enjoy weightlifting and painting—two activities that keep me creative and grounded in different ways.
Garrett began his career in the CPG industry with food and beverage startups, spending 5-years helping to scale, launch new product lines, and secure new distribution with major club and grocery chains. In 2013, he moved into Bev-Al, with roles at Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and Kobrand, working with domestic and international suppliers to build brands in both on and off-premise, independent and chain accounts.
He joined Tata Consumer in 2022, leading their U.S. tea portfolio – repositioning a legacy brand, streamlining SKUs, overseeing a global production shift – improving profitability and operational efficiency. In the fall of 2024, Garrett left Tata to explore his long-held interest in teaching/ education and to spend more time with his family, but he remains passionate about brand building, and blending strategy, creativity and data-based decision making to develop brands people love.
Most recently I moved from the consulting side to the business side for a large point-of-care marketing company as a customer insights professional. I supported a variety of internal clients/stakeholders with survey-based research, dashboards, and competitive intelligence.
I was born and raised in the Cincinnati area and currently reside just across the river in Northern Kentucky. I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Economics and an MBA. In my free time you can find me on the golf course almost always. If I’m not golfing, I am either attending a live sporting event or listening to live music at one of our many great venues. I’m very excited to be a part of the 3 Tier team!
I joined 3 Tier in 2024 to help run our social media and support the executive team with day-to-day priorities. I report into Caroline and Peyton, working across internal operations and outward-facing brand work. I manage our posts and engagement across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn—tracking what’s working and where the conversation’s moving. I also help maintain prospecting lists, organize research, and keep expenses and admin tasks on track.
I’m based in Chicago and currently balancing this role with school, where I’m focused on business and communications. Still early in the process—but learning fast and picking things up every day.
3302 North Lincoln Avenue, #153 Chicago IL, 60657
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