Every year, the Austin Chamber and SXSW host the Austin A-List Awards, which celebrates and promotes Austin’s top innovative, homegrown companies and leaders. The event highlights both tech and non-tech companies.

Austin is home to a unique and collaborative business community. We are working to highlighting them in a variety of ways including through a commitment to make A-List an enduring honor by staying in touch with and highlighting our winners throughout the year.

As we approach this year’s Austin A-List Awards on May 23 at ACL Live @ the Moody Theater, we are looking each week at a different 2018 winner.

When selecting winners, our judges evaluate nominees on the following criteria:

Innovation: How novel/innovative is the company’s core idea?
Achievability: How achievable/practical is the idea? Can it be delivered?
Sustainability: Is the company sourcing properly with thoughts on its impact to the environment?
Growth: Will the company scale over time?
Leadership: Does the company have the right leadership to execute?

2018 Emerging Winner: Friends and Allies Brewing Company

CEO/Co-Founder Devon Ponds sends this update about Friends and Allies Brewing Company:

“We have experienced 60% growth in its home market in 2018 and expanded distribution into four additional central Texas counties. The brewery also released a series of seasonal cans and announced a yearlong collaboration with Jameson Irish Whiskey in 2019.”

Know an awesome candidate for 2019 Austin A-List Awards? Help us discover and promote the very best Austin has to offer. Nominate here.