Joelle Drummond is a Swansea University graduate and truly inspirational businesswoman.
Enterprising Joelle founded the Drop Bear Beer Co in 2019 together with her wife, Sarah Drummond after the pair were disappointed with the lack of variety within the non-alcoholic beer market.
Since its humble beginnings in Joelle's kitchen, Drop Bear has become the UK's top-rated specialist brewer of alcohol-free craft beers, and also has an international market, selling in countries as far flung as Canada and New Zealand.
Joelle’s business model is unique; as the world’s first female and LGBTQIA+ founded alcohol-free brewery, the company consistently challenges stereotypes and strives to diversify a traditional industry.
Joelle’s commitment to ethics and sustainability is an important part of Drop Bear’s appeal – the company is Wales’s first certified B-Corp brewery as well as being the world’s first carbon-neutral alcohol-free brewery.
In 2022, Drop Bear won several accolades at the Wales StartUp Awards, including Wales StartUp of the Year, Swansea Bay StartUp of the Year and Green StartUp of the Year. On the same night, Joelle walked away with the title of Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Aligned with their innovative approach, Joelle and Sarah have a diverse staff base with 50 per cent of their staff identifying as queer. They also have a charity partnership with Galop which is dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ people who have been victims of abuse and violence.
Joelle very much wants the beer she produces to be the star of the show, and the advent of Drop Bear Beer couldn’t be timelier, with a growing ‘sober-curious’ movement particularly amongst Generation Z, proving that younger people don’t rely on alcohol for social situations.
Despite an initial reluctance to step into the limelight, Joelle has said her experiences have taught her that it is important that entrepreneurs, leaders and founders know who is behind a brand. Drop Bear Beer is more than the beer, what Joelle and her wife Sarah have developed is a groundbreaking, inspirational business model for a generation. It is clear that Joelle and Sarah are the real stars of the show; and today is an opportunity to celebrate Joelle Drummond for the true trailblazer she is.