Whiskey, Wealth and Winning: Fawn Weaver's Masterclass in Business Funding

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Different is Better than Better: Game-Changing Funding Strategies with Fawn Weaver

Now the fastest growing U.S. premium whiskey brand, valued at $1.1B, Weaver and co-owner husband sought funding support while keeping 40% ownership with 80% voting rights. Leveraging equity in the business to secure bank loans, Weaver rapidly scaled and mitigated risk with a focus on cash flow and little capital-at-risk.

That’s not all. High gross margins are at play, too. Making the distillery a go-to destination and tourist hotspot boosts brand awareness and profit margins, by upwards of 50%. The more consumers buy from Uncle Nearest directly, the less of a need for venture capital to scale.

It’s a real-life historical revolution of a legacy revealed and a unicorn funding approach through strategic financing, majority ownership and business innovation. Cheers to that!

Need to Know

• Parent-Backing VC firm? Yes, please. Meet LDR Ventures which invests in early-stage startups in the food and beverage category and loves the “resilience and adaptability of parent founders.” 

• Boost your black-owned business with these 5 funding sources. Apply for grants between $2,500- $25K.

• New Capital-Ready Women Accelerator Program for women-led businesses in Cincinnati and Northern KY. It’s the only guided program unaffiliated with a financial institution and government funding. More info here.

• Attention underrepresented founders! Snag cloud-based customer engagement platform, Braze, for 12 months free with the Tech For An Equitable Future 2025 Program. Apply here by 1/17/25.

• 🔖Bookmark worthy: The 2024 List of Venture Funds and Accelerators for Women. Take a peek at 100+ women-focused venture funds and 22 accelerators.

Industry Updates

• Emma Watson invests in reproductive health company, Hertility, rounding out funding totals for the female-founded company to $14M.

• Heads up: Corporate brands are canceling DEI grants for Black and Hispanic-owned small businesses. Some with no explanation 😤 and others shifting focus to broader small business aid. More about the rollbacks here.

• 7 men are making a difference in their community to the tune of $50M within Kalamazoo Forward Ventures specifically for capital investment for underrepresented businesses across 3 sectors.

• Companies like Amazon, Boeing and Goldman Sachs issue RTO mandates, including Dell who left working parents in a childcare bind with only a few days notice 😬.

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Founder’s Note

Fact: Female founders receive less VC funding. But Fawn Weaver paves a way outside the traditional VC song and dance with family offices, offering more funding flexibility and owner control. Weaver’s out-of-the-box bootstrapping gives me hope as I work to fund my company, Smply.

Key Insight: :No matter what funding direction you go, find an investment partner(s) who deeply understands the industry and business. They’ll be with you for the long haul so keep your relationship-building chops sharp as you seek to establish funds and fit.

Action Taken: Research (and understand) what your business truly needs in terms of funding and understand all your options. VC funding isn’t the only route. Research if family offices are a good fit for your business.

Tip for Fellow Founders: Take inventory of your business and decide if pursuing funds is  necessary now. Going with the VC current isn’t always your best next step. Slowing down for organic growth is an option, too. Decide your path. You know your business best.