Episode Overview
Food, drink and culture are three things that often intersect. They help to build cultural, creative and social connections amongst communities. Matthew Johnston, CEO and Co-founder of Collective Arts Brewing, is working to increase creative consciousness through delicious craft beverages, art and inclusivity.
Matt Johnston is the co-founder and CEO of Collective Arts Brewing Ltd. He started the company alongside Bob Russell in 2012 on the basis of two principles: creativity fostering creativity, and creativity fostering delicious craft beverages. Matt has built and managed brands in every major beer category, from craft, to import, to domestic, as well as brands in the value segment. As CEO of Collective Arts, he has spent the last 7 years disrupting the craft beverage market.
Collective Arts, founded in 2013 in Hamilton, Ontario, has a wide range of beers, ciders, spirits and canned cocktails that are designed to be as diverse, creative, and unwavering as the artists profiled; respecting tradition, but not constrained by it. Collective Arts features limited-edition works of art by artists and musicians that change every few months. To date, more than 1,000 artists and musicians have been featured and championed by Collective Arts. Collective Arts was named one of Linkedin’s 2018 & 2019 Top 25 Canadian Startups and is now distributing in every Canadian province, 20 U.S. states, the UK, eight countries in the EU, China and Australia.
“I disdain the status quo, and love all things creative – it challenges me and inspires me.”
In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard, Matthew discusses the strides to create a brand inspired by creativity and bridging cultural gaps with art & drink.
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