Meet the team
Phil Platz: Head Brewer
Phil comes to Young Lion with more than a decade of experience in the beverage industry. A graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania he attended University of California Davis and completed the Master Brewer’s Program in 2005. After graduating he was immediately recruited by MillerCoors, where he worked for over 9 years, brewing and taste-testing some of America’s best known beer brands.
Missing the craft, Phil left Miller to spend a year as the Head Brewer at Trim Tab Brewery (Alabama) where he could get back to his love of the art.
In his role at Young Lion, Platz is the mastermind behind the beer, overseeing all brewing operations from grain to “can”. From delicious IPAs to classic and crisp Pilsners, Phil is responsible for all of Young Lion’s original craft brews.
Jennifer Newman: CEO/Co-Owner
With a longstanding passion for craft beers and the craft brewing industry, Newman tried her hand at homebrewing, but quickly realized her taste for the craft didn’t translate into tasty beers. So, at YLBC, Jen leaves the brewing to the masters, but takes the lead from the trenches as head business maven.
Jen joined the Young Lion project in August 2015. In her role as Founder, Newman assumes all operational responsibilities including strategic planning, vendor relations, HR, budgeting, licensing, strategy, sales – and of course, beer tasting. Before fulfilling her dream to launch a brewery, Newman worked for more than 20 years in business Initially as a business analyst (Price Waterhouse LLP, Scholastic, Cox Communications, and LiDestri Foods) before co-founding three successful start-ups:
DbSecure, Application Security and Techrigy.
Alicia Wolk: Founder
Alicia Wolk, a Rochester native, is not only one of the founders for YLBC, but is also the branding brains behind the business, bringing the concept from ideation to ready-to-pour.
Her experience spans from behind the bar, to the board room, with a passion for marketing and hospitality to match. With a keen eye for aesthetics and form, she’s brought the brewery to life and will continue to help grow the brand for years to come.
Tanya Youngman: Event Sales and Marketing Manager
A Rochester and Finger Lakes native, with over 16 years of experience in the Food & Beverage Industry. Over the years Tanya’s developed her skill set in event sales, catering, event management, and restaurant marketing. Her experience ranges from running the floor as front of house manger, to coordinating small dinner parties and happy hours, to large corporate functions and weddings. Couple this experience with her education in Graphic Design and Photography, Tanya has a unique skill set and perspective on marketing for the food & beverage industry and the importance of building a brand through engaging imagery.
Cody Griffith: Taproom Manager
A Canandaigua native with nearly 10 years of hospitality and service industry experience, this guy has seen it all. Starting out bar backing at busy local establishment’s fresh out of high school, then moving up to bartending at dozens of weddings over the last 4 years. Cody has been at Young Lion for the last 2 years in a multifaceted capacity including on the production team shadowing our brewers, working in the tap room, private events in the loft and offsite samplings. Chances are if you have a question about YLBC, he has the answer! Always eager for a new challenge, Cody has landed his role as Tap Room Manager, where he can help lead our tap room staff to new heights. “So lets raise a glass and always drink local”.
John O’Flaherty: Facility Manager
It’s a satisfying storyline to see a homebrewer graduate from the basement to the brewhouse. John has done exactly that for Young Lion Brewing Company. Here since day one, John does everything from being a brand ambassador – to Taproom beertender – facility maintenance – to official brewer. Add in his constant collaboration with our head brewer and you can expect to see a lot of John O’Flaherty’s creativity on our beer list.
Kregg Schuster: Sales Representative
Kregg Schuster, a native of Western New York, now resides in Canandaigua with his wife and three young children. After graduating from the University at Buffalo, Kregg has spent the past fifteen years in a variety of roles in the beverage industry. His experience includes working as a merchandiser in Buffalo, wine sales in Florida, and a bar manager in Washington, DC. He has spent the last five years working as a craft beer sales manager in the Finger Lakes. Kregg is extremely excited to join the Young Lion team to help share their amazing beers with customers around the region.
Allee Tallman: Event Team Leader
Our events team is so excited to have Allee step into a new role at Young Lion as our Day-of-Event Team Leader. Allee has been with Young Lion since it’s inception 4 years ago. If you’ve been to our brewery on a weekend you have probably seen her smiling face in the Taproom or The Loft for Private Events bartending. When she’s not filling glass, she’s selling it, in her full-time role as a Sales Rep for Rochester Insulated Glass. In her spare time she trains and competes in Olympic Weightlifting. We are so exited have Allee join our Management Team working alongside our Event Sales Manager Tanya to be the Day-of-Event Team Lead for all our Private Event clients at YLBC. Join us in welcoming Allee to our management team
Josh Elias: Taproom Co-Captain
If you've been to the Young Lion taproom, you were probably greeted, with a big smile, by our Taproom Co-Captain, Josh. Josh helped us launch YLBC in 2017, and his jokes have kept us laughing since day one. Along with his previous role with Business Services Division at Corning Incorporated as a Project Manager, Josh has over seven years of food industry/bartending experience. "I truly enjoy working at YLBC; it's not just a brewery; it's family."