Liquid Forum:The Inaugural Taste of Black Spirits Houston

Join us for the Liquid Forum, the premier event of Taste of Black Spirits, where industry experts, well-known brands, aspiring entrepreneurs, and inquisitive individuals unite to promote the social and economic empowerment of historically marginalized communities in the Beverage Alcohol Industry. This edition of the Liquid Forum will take place in Houston on November 8th, at The Community Collective, with the theme "Power in Partnerships." Attendees can look forward to insights from guest speakers representing various sectors of the Spirit Industry.

Kicking off at 11 AM, this event is free to the public and offers a wealth of opportunities for education, networking, business development, and discussions on sustainability, shelf causation, and strategic financial planning. Don’t miss this chance to gain valuable knowledge from seasoned professionals and elevate your understanding of the Spirit Industry!

STEVEN R. BROWN
VP OF FINANCE, PRONGHORN

Lauded for his business finance application and analytical skillset, Steven R. Brown is VP of Finance for PRONGHORN, an independent company dedicated to expanding diversity within the spirits industry by cultivating and investing in the next generation of Black founders, executives, and entrepreneurs in a sustainable and scalable way. The initiative is committed to generating $2.4 billion in economic value for the Black community by 2032.

Steven leads all financial operations for the newly launched organization including the development of long-term strategies, investment plans, and operational targets, as well as serving as the primary financial advisor for incubator and accelerator brands that Pronghorn will be investing in.

With more than a decade of experience, Steven has leveraged his vast corporate finance expertise and business forethought to ensure robust financial evaluations of all major decisions including spending plans, pricing, capital investment, and item range optimization for some of the top spirits companies, along with brands within the technology and consumer packaged goods industries.

Steven began his corporate career as a financial analyst, ultimately completing a coveted MBA rotational program in business and technology. In 2014, he joined Diageo and became a key strategy and financial business partner to Vodka, Scotch and Gin categories, covering brands including Smirnoff, Cîroc, Johnnie Walker and Tanqueray worth over $2B NSV. He then moved on to a senior role at Pernod Ricard where he served as a primary financial business partner to Absolut Vodka and Beefeater Gin, worth over $400M in NSV with ~$100M in A&P investment. At Crook & Marker his financial analysis helped drive the first full year of sales revenue beyond $20M.

In 2020, Steven joined Mars Wrigley to provide financial guidance and leadership to the M&M’s team in delivering objectives on a $2.1B business.

Steven is a proud graduate of Hampton University with a Bachelor’s degree in finance. He also obtained an MBA in management from Eastern University and a Master’s in finance from the Lebow College of Business at Drexel University.

Upon completing her MBA in Business Leadership, Ursula Dunn began her Supply Chain career with Diageo the global leader in the spirits industry. Throughout her decade plus career with the organization, she has been responsible for leading and implementing World Class Processes and Initiatives that drive Productivity and Cost Savings. As a champion of continuous improvement, she has driven over 10 million dollars in margin enhancing opportunities. She is also one of the organization’s leaders of Inclusion and Diversity initiatives through her work with Diageo’s Business Resource Groups like AHEAD (African Heritage Employees at Diageo), Rainbow Network, Connectados and the Spirited Women Network. She contributed to establishing Diageo’s I&D Framework in 2021 including a secondment role building the Supply Chain framework for Pronghorn an accelerator and incubator for Black Owned Spirits Brands. Before embarking in Spirits Ursula held a variety of roles that provided a wide breadth of tools and skillsets including Accounting, Customer Service and Logistics. Leveraging her passion for D&I, subject matter expertise and entrepreneurial spirit Ursula is embarking on a mission to support and accelerate the career and entrepreneurial endeavors of women in supply through her community platform Sista Supply Chain Network.

Shammah Joy is the Co-Founder and President of Luxury Distilled Beverages a leading beverage company with a growing premium spirits portfolio. She is currently overseeing the national expansion of their first brand, Mur Mur Rum, while simultaneously developing premium wine and spirits poised to significantly impact the industry. Her role encompasses her strong influence in LDB’s purpose commitment to advocate for Disability Equity, unwavering passion for supporting the people that are helping to grow and build LDB brands, and the intentional inclusivity in partnerships and product development.


She is the Founder and President of The Overcomer Foundation, which is a funding foundation that supports organizations committed to accessibility equity for individuals with intellectual and developmental differences. She proudly serves on multiple boards of organizations that fiercely advocate for IDD intentional inclusion and Accessibility Equity.


Shammah is the author of The iCANS children’s book series and Founder of iCANS Media Group created with a passion for helping change the way the world sees special needs. Because Differences are superpowers!


Shammah is the owner of Solutions Hair Restoration Specialists where for the last 17 years her focus is healthy haircare, extensions, and custom wigs.

Debra Vick is a dynamic educator, serial entrepreneur, and community builder with a passion for fostering growth and change. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from Prairie View A&M University, an MBA, and a Master's in Human Resources from Keller Graduate School of Management, and is completing her Doctorate in Education in Organizational Leadership at Grand Canyon University (ABD).

With nearly two decades of experience teaching and training adult professionals and corporations, Debra has made her mark not only in education but also in media, having worked alongside producers on notable shows such as the Dr. Phil Show, ABC, PBS, and HGTV’s "Battle on the Beach."

Debra is a multi-million dollar producing commercial and residential agent, owner of an extensive investment property portfolio, and a proud woman-owned business owner of Bottoms Up Liquor Store. She is also a board member and owner of vending machines for children, expanding her reach into diverse entrepreneurial ventures. Her dedication to building super communities, advancing financial literacy, and enhancing social mobility is reflected in all her endeavors.

She takes pride in her role as an advocate for generational wealth and financial empowerment, ensuring her impact on others leaves a lasting legacy. Debra is also a forthcoming author, with her book *Empathy When Empty*, which reflects her deep understanding of the human spirit and its resilience.

Furthermore, she is the founder of a nonprofit designed to transform lives by empowering new entrepreneurs, creating opportunities, and ensuring affordable housing. Her latest venture includes developing a pitch deck for personally investing in another entrepreneur’s dream, illustrating her commitment to uplifting others and sharing her journey toward building a brighter future.

LAZAR FAVORS is a Dynamic CEO and Founder with a strong background in the spirits industry. He Established Black Spirits Legacy in 2021 and organized the Taste of Black Spirits/Liquid Forum Exhibition conference. Demonstrates excellent leadership skills, securing capital for emerging products and establishing distribution and partnerships with Black-owned spirit brands, companies, distillers, and distributors. Proficient in marketing plans and market management readiness, with a deep understanding of relationship building and shelf placement causation. Developed and executed marketing plans to drive brand awareness and increase market share.
Implemented market management readiness strategies and optimized shelf placement for maximum visibility and sales impact.
-LAZAR has excellent communication and negotiation skills.
He is a strategic thinker with a passion for driving growth and innovation with a strong network and influence in the spirits industry.

Black Spirits Legacy, LLC, a brand building and marketing management company focused on providing distribution opportunities and building relationships for Black-owned spirit companies. Dedicated to increasing Black representation in the spirits , excellent in developing and executing marketing strategies to drive brand awareness and increase market shares. LAZAR plans to expand conferences to more cities across the U.S. and Nigeria by 2026.

Black Spirits Legacy, LLC, a brand building and marketing management company focused on providing distribution opportunities and building relationships for Black-owned spirit companies. Dedicated to increasing Black representation in the spirits industry, curating high-quality signature experiences such as "A Taste of Black Spirits" since 2021. Proficient in developing and executing marketing strategies to drive brand awareness and increase market shares. Portfolio includes Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Whiskey, IslandJon Vodka, Fort Mose Bourbon, Ricarda Amor Tequila, J Prince Loyalty Wines, Ronald Isley Liquid Gold XO Brandy, Tom Bullock's & Birdie Brown brands, and more. Plans to expand conferences to cities across the U.S. and Nigeria by 2026.

Partnerships have been essential to the growing efforts of our company.

Black Spirits Legacy's has a partnership with Pronghorn—a stand-alone business dedicated to cultivating the next generation of diverse founders, executive leaders and entrepreneurs. Pronghorn aims is to apply industry-leading expertise while investing financial, individual and network capital to effectively support, grow and sustain Black-owned businesses in the spirits industry. Their initiative will drive 2.4 billion in economic value in 10 years through investing in Black-owned founders. Our Taste of Black Spirits & Liquid Forum serves as an establishing connection for entrepreneurs to Pronghorn.


Black Spirits Legacy's created a longstanding partnership with Meijer with our “IN GOOD SPIRITS” initiative. This initiative secured 10 Afro-American spirits ( Duke & Dame, Fort Mose' Bourbon,T Capri Tequila, Loyalty Wines,Tom Bullock's & Birdie Brown Whiskey and others in high visibility shelving in several locations. Our " N GOOD SPIRITS " also host curated sampling experiences in collaboration with Hilton Hotels in downtown Detroit.

We are purposefully working together to ensure African American-owned
Spirit Brands gain visibility & awareness by providing bar and shelf space opportunities that contribute to the growth of each product. Together, we are elevating more Black representation in the spirits industry.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Community Collective for Houston, 12401 S. Post Oak Rd, Houston, United States