Pulkit (PK) graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and then began working in the beer industry as a Process Engineer for Ballast Point Brewing, where he focused on packaging lines and nitrogen beer. He soon discovered a need in the market for software that expanded beyond standard inventory management systems, where there would be an emphasis on the brewing process and quality, not just inventory tracking. In January 2018, Pulkit launched Beer30. In December 2022, Pulkit was selected into the Forbes 30 Under 30, Class of 2023, in the Food and Drink category.
Ryan (RAllis) graduated from Indiana University with a Master of Science in Bioinformatics, and then moved West to work in drug design for a biotechnology company in San Diego, CA. It would be nearly a decade before Ryan entered the beer industry as Director of Sales & Distribution for The Fat Cat Beer Company. His first impression of the industry was a lasting one, and in 2016, Ryan co-founded Protector Brewery, San Diego’s 1st Organic Beer Company. It was at Protector Brewery in 2018, that Ryan first met Pulkit, and joined him in building The 5th Ingredient.
After developing a passion for craft beer while studying at The University of Pennsylvania, Zach started his career in the beer industry at Ballast Point Brewing as a Process Engineer. Following Ballast Point, he joined O’Connor Brewing and worked a variety of roles including Director of Brewery Operations and COO. He joined The 5th Ingredient in October 2021, inspired to bring Beer30’s brew process and quality data tools to more breweries around the world.
Originally from Texas, Andrew moved to San Diego in 2015. At the time, he was working in the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) industry, but then he decided to persue software development full time. He found a coding bootcamp called LEARN Acadmy, where he not only learned to code, but also met Pulkit and Ryan and was introduced to The 5th Ingredient. After graduating from LEARN, he worked as a contractor and eventually became one of the first T5I employees. Today, he helps manage the engineering team, and still writes code himself regularly.
Kiel has worked in all aspects of the hospitality industry throughout his career. Whether it was as a corporate trainer for a small restaurant group or running a taproom for a farm to fermenter brewery. He has also worked with a liquor distributor to get new products on the shelf. Kiel has always been the type of person to put the best solution in front of the customer to help them succeed.
Starting in the taproom at Wynwood Brewing Company, in Miami, Alexa received her Cicerone Beer Server Certification, and happily educated guests on the beer making process! Soon after, she took a dive into learning more about kombucha and fermented beverages and became the sales rep for a local Kombucha company. Both experiences inspired her love for local brews and gave her purpose to continue to share the art of craft beverages.
Dan’s first job in the craft beer community came back in 1996 when he worked for Old Saddleback Brewing Co out of his hometown of Pittsfield, MA. Over the years, Dan has continued to gain a great admiration for the brewing industry, holding positions in breweries and in the craft malt sector. Since moving to Colorado in 2004 Dan has seen the industry grow from a few staple breweries to the thriving industry it is today. When not at work, Dan can be found with his wife Melissa and son Conor enjoying all of what Colorado has to offer. Be it hiking trails, climbing mountains, or taking advantage of a fresh powder day, Dan and his family love spending time together exploring the wilderness.
Josh graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology with a B.S. in computer science and has since worn many hats in the software field. After starting out developing news and data feeds, he went on to work with a range of data driven companies delivering custom enterprise-wide software suites to global AAA companies. He has experienced the software lifecycle across many industries, including news, reinsurance, gaming, sports, and now brewing!
Rich was born and raised in the small town of Bexley, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. Choosing to stay close to home, he attended The Ohio State University on scholarship, and graduated with a BS in Computer Science and Engineering. Having worked in the software industry for more than a quarter century, Rich has experience in many fields - including healthcare, insurance, and financial - in roles ranging from developer to tech lead and software architect. In addition to being an avid homebrewer and beer enthusiast, Rich is also a fan of college football and NHL hockey.
Inspired by a friend who needed a website to buy and sell vintage Japanese toys, David built his first website, and never stopped. During his years in tech he has built websites and applications for nonprofits, lawyers, gamblers, artists, and now breweries. In addition to his work as a software engineer, David has run the royalty department and been an IT director at a music publishing company, been the lead baker at an award-winning pie bakery, run a Jewish Student organization, and worked as a music booking agent.
Sameer is a Full Stack Engineer with a heavy inclination towards back-end coding. He has over 10 years of experience in software development and throughout his career, he has worked with array of clients - from start-ups to big MNC's. Sameer has his Master's in Software Engineering from a TIER 1 institute in India. When he's not working, he loves to spend time with his family and watch sports.
John has 6 years of experience in the brewing industry. At Ballast Point Brewing, he worked his way up from packaging to cellar work running a centrifuge to brewing, cellar, and lab work in a dedicated sour and barrel aging facility. Of note, he spent many hours dialing in the in-line carb and nitro process with one of the process engineers, Pulkit. In 2019 John explored a new career path in software development and was lucky enough to reconnect with Pulkit who offered him an opportunity to intern with The 5th Ingredient where he's spent last 3 years using that physical experience to inform and build better brewing software.
Clare is from New York City, but went to college in Rochester and graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BS in Web & Mobile Computing. She has prior experience in working in Web Development.
Stela grew up in Bulgaria and recently moved to New York to pursue her dreams. She has a passion for technology since childhood and this has led her to become an engineer with Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. She is excited to implement her experience in Quality Assurance and Software Development to ensure that Beer30 and Bucha30 are running at the highest standards of quality.
Gabi is a craft beer community-builder. After graduating with her Master of Public Policy from The University of Texas, she led customer-focused teams at technology companies of all sizes, while cultivating her love of craft beer via blogging, beertending, and homebrewing. Gabi joined The 5th Ingredient in 2023, and is most energized by helping our customers achieve their goals of creating community around their own brands of craft beer.
Dave has 12 years production experience in the brewing industry. He has performed just about every role on the production floor from packaging line to Brewmaster and Production Manager including Head Brewer at Anchorage Brewery and Brewmaster at 49th State Brewery. During his time as Brewmaster he was fortunate enough to win a Gold Medal at World Beer Cup and brew a beer that took home a Bronze Medal in the Great American Beer Festival. His time running breweries has taught me many important lessons that he's now happy to share with other brewers in regards to product development and quality, production scheduling, inventory management, and supply chain logistics.
Rachel spent 6 years at Oozlefinch Brewery in Hampton, VA, working her way up from Lab Tech to Head Brewer and eventually to COO. Her affinity for beer stemmed from a love of life sciences and a desire to create. She has spent the past 6 years learning all the ins and outs of brewing from developing a brewery lab, running a packaging line, brewing, and eventually heading all brewery operations. She is excited to take her experience in brewing and help others brew more and brew better through thoughtful data management and creative solutions.
Originally from Springfield, Missouri Lindsy's been working in/around beer since 2008. In 2015 she made the move to being an assistant brewer at Courtyard Brewery in New Orleans. Beer took her to New Zealand in 2016 to manage a craft beer bar before making her home in Australia in 2018, where she spent 5 years at Stomping Ground Brewery in Melbourne in a variety of roles before becoming Cellar Lead and Senior Brewer. She is a Certified Cicerone, National Coordinator of the Australian Chapter of Pink Boots Society, and Beer Judge. Knowing first-hand how data management can improve all aspects of brewery operations, she is passionate about helping breweries make their data work for them.
Austin has over 10 years of marketing experience, with a specialization in digital advertising and communications. After working in many industries, ranging from restaurant franchising to L&D, Austin found a home working for The 5th Ingredient. He's passionate about connecting with the community and building a marketing program that listens to what the customers want as well as what the industry needs. Outside of work, Austin spends time playing volleyball, hiking, and of course, drinking a beer to relax.
Madeline McMahon built a career path leveraging social media marketing, networking, and a passion for projects. Madeline's favorite beer is “You Look Familiar” from Precarious Beer Project, and favorite go-to style is a Pilsner.
You'll most likely find Madeline using a bar top as a standing desk, or wrangling the dogs and counting it as exercise.
