ACA Announces 2025 Cider is for Everyone Scholarship Recipients
The American Cider Association (ACA) is thrilled to announce the awardees of the ACA’s 4th Cider is for Everyone Scholarship. Recipients are Marcio Buffolo, head cidermaker at Mountain West Hard Cider; Renaldo Haynes Sr., home brewer and meadmaker; Joanne Mumbey, founder of BeyLoved Pairings LLC and bartender at Green Bench Brewing Co.; Jonathan Osei, National Urban Fellow and Workforce Development Fellow at Project for Pride in Living; Lisa Suarez-Tadus, owner and winemaker at Suárez Wines; and Whitney Williams, food and drink content creator at @workout.to.eatout_pdx. (Photos and bios below.)
This scholarship is designed to bring individuals from historically marginalized populations within the beverage industry to CiderCon® to increase the accessibility of cider education and catalyze networking opportunities for burgeoning cider professionals.
Each scholarship includes registration, travel, and lodging to attend CiderCon® 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. CiderCon® is the world’s premier networking and educational event for the professional cidermaking community. Additionally, scholarship recipients receive a year of ACA membership and study materials and waived exam fees to pursue recognition through the Certified Cider Guide and Certified Pommelier education and certification programs offered by the ACA. New this year, scholars are also eligible for travel stipends to participate in cider judging at various cider competitions throughout the country after earning their credentials as Certified Pommeliers.
This scholarship is part of a broader effort by the ACA to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the cider industry. In 2019 the ACA launched the Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion Committee, which recognizes diversity, equity and inclusion as important and necessary principles for the present and future successes of the cider industry. Its members, in conjunction with the rest of the organization, strive to create events, opportunities and organizational policies that embody principles and practices of equity and inclusion.
“This scholarship is one of our best tools for fostering a more diverse cider industry,” says Michelle McGrath, CEO of the ACA. “The scholarship needs to work in lock step with our efforts to create a more inclusive industry so that, as we have more diverse CiderCon® attendees, they are surrounded by a welcoming community and equitable environment.”
The ACA is grateful for support from Seattle Cider, Nine Pin Cider and the Great American Beer Festival for sponsoring the Cider is for Everyone Scholarship. Additional companies who wish to support this program should contact miranda@ciderassociation.org.
Please contact Michelle McGrath at michelle@ciderassociation.org for media inquiries. Interested in helping support the Cider is for Everyone Scholarship? Please contact our Membership & Engagement Coordinator Miranda Bradeen at miranda@ciderassociation.org.
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Meet the Recipients
Marcio Buffolo is from Brazil where he graduated with a degree in biology from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master’s degree in cell biology. After moving to Utah in 2013, Marcio worked as a scientist at the University of Utah in the Metabolism and Diabetes Department. After a few years, he moved to the fermentation industry where he worked at Shades Brewing for over 6 years. He is now the Head Cidermaker at Mountain West Hard Cider. He is a professional beer judge and cider judge who hold a Certified Cider Guide designation. He is also a professor for the MBAA Malt & Beer course.
Renaldo Haynes Sr. (a.k.a. Ren) is a home brewer looking to transition into professionally and legally selling meads. His love of mead developed from his home brewing experience. Once he transitioned to mead making he discovered his true passion to create and express himself artistically. He has watched in awe as strangers lined up to taste him meads at the Barrel and Flow Festival. In the future, he aims to gain knowledge of cidermaking while incorporating elements of that into his mead making and further change the view of his culture in the industry while showcasing his talents in mead making. Ren is also a proud husband, father, and maker of meads. He is a self-described “Blerd” (Black Nerd), and enjoys sci-fi, fantasy, and comic books, Black history books, hip hop, jazz, and R&B music, and especially anything Batman related. He also enjoys reading, watching anime, and spending time with his family while enjoying a good mead or cider by an evening fire in his yard.
Joanne Mumbey is a Certified Cicerone®, founder of BeyLoved Pairings LLC and currently bartends at Green Bench Brewing Co. which produces beer, cider and mead. She is originally from Uganda, and because of the global nature of her parents’ work she was able to experience various cultures and their cuisines. Her curiosity and love for so many cuisines led her to attend Culinary School at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, where she grew a passion for craft beer. During her time at Green Bench, her first taste of a farmhouse cider opened a whole new world to her and piqued her interest in cider. From that time on she has sought out cider trainings and tastings at Green Bench and beyond to learn more about this wonderful drink. She recently launched BeyLoved Pairings LLC, where she hosts curated beer and food pairing experiences with a focus on diverse cuisines that are typically overlooked in the traditional drinks’ pairing spaces. With this scholarship, she is excited to gain her Pommelier certification to expand her food pairings to include cider.
Jonathan A. Osei, National Urban Fellow and Workforce Development Fellow at Project for Pride in Living in Minneapolis, blends his Arizona roots and Ghanaian-Black Southern heritage to fuel his passion for community work and craft beverages. His journey in the nonprofit social impact space is intertwined with his love for diverse cultures and flavors.
While studying in the Triangle area, Jonathan’s interest in the craft beverage scene blossomed, with Durham introducing him to a variety of craft drinks that broadened his palate. This experience sparked a particular fondness for cider, beginning with Bold Rock Cider and later, Bull City Ciderworks.
In Washington, D.C., Jonathan’s enthusiasm led to his roles as a DC Brand Ambassador for Artisanal Brewing Ventures (and a Beertender at his neighborhood brewery, City State Brewing), sharing exceptional craft beverages. He is committed to diversifying the craft beer and cider industry, actively promoting (DMV) Black brewers through the Black Brew Movement and fostering inclusivity and collaboration. Jonathan’s goal is to enrich the craft beverage culture with diverse flavors and perspectives, bringing people together to enjoy unique and delightful beverages.
Lisa Suarez-Tadus has been making wine since 2011 after a successful television news career in Colorado and Canada. She enrolled in a food and wine school and joined two brother winemakers who just started a winery in Ontario. Her experience in Niagara-on-the-Lake gave her a foundation in winemaking she brings home to Colorado. Today, Lisa is in a new chapter for her wine label, Suárez Wines. She planted more than 1500 cider and cider-crab apples in high density on her farm in Boulder County and is now preparing to dip her skills into producing cider.
Whitney Williams is a food and drink content creator, gym rat and cider enthusiasts from Portland Oregon. She operates an account on Instagram called @workout.to.eatout_pdx where she shares her experiences in the gym and at restaurants and tap houses around Oregon. She has always loved cider and during the pandemic found herself seeking more knowledge around the cidermaking process and becoming a cider club member at many cideries in Portland. Since then, she has been spreading the word about the complexities of cider to anyone who will listen. She hopes to translate her love for cider into hosting and educating people about cider through cider pairing dinners at local restaurants, cider centered events and working with cideries in Portland, Oregon. She hopes her presence in the cider world will inspire other women of color to get involved and chase their dreams.