It’s no question that Malcolm Jenkins has continuously been on the frontline in support of Black and brown entrepreneurs. Spearheading change through Broad Street Ventures, the first Black athlete-led venture capital fund, the two-time Super Bowl champion has been on go-mode since its launch. As previously reported by AfroTech, the $10 million investment fund further created space for Black and brown women after bringing India Robinson and Sara “Lovestyle” Hood on board as investors.
Now, less than four months later, Jenkins is onto his next impactful venture under Malcolm Inc. — his holding company.
Malcolm Inc. Joins Forces With Millstone Spirits Group
According to a press release shared with AfroTech, Jenkins — along with Malcolm Inc. — has become a Board Member and Investor in Millstone Spirits Group, following the recent $1.4 million acquisition of Faber Distilling and assets. From already forming a connection with President and CEO Robert Cassell through his own love for whiskey to how the spirit group will create change, hopping on board was a no-brainer for the new owner. Thanks to his foundation’s annual charity fundraiser Blitz, Bow-ties, and Bourbon, Jenkins built his knowledge of whiskey with multiple tours of New Liberty Distillery — which is right near the former Eagle’s home in Philadelphia.
“I got to see the process of how whiskey is made from the grains and the distillery to barrels, all the way to the finished product in the bottle and how all those things are tweaked,” Jenkins told AfroTech exclusively. “Once I wanted to make my own spirit, of course, Rob was the one I reached out to, and then that turned into the investment into Millstone Spirit Group that owns New Liberty Distillery and just recently acquired Faber Distilling, which is doing great things in the state of Pennsylvania when it comes to the spirit space.”
Supporting Black And Brown Farmers
With Jenkins as an investor, him and Millstone Spirits Group are aiming to make the first-ever whiskey made with ingredients sourced exclusively from Black and brown farmers, per the release. As the underrepresented group faces discrimination and inequity, the plan ahead is to start a movement where more people — including celebrities — will support minority-owned farms, growers, and smaller operations instead of white labeling a spirit.
“We started looking at, ‘How do we help Black farmers?’ and this gave us a [resolution] to a real problem in the spirit space that these smaller farmers that are usually Black and brown that can’t compete with some of the larger operations are getting priced out,” he said. “But when we have an opportunity to create a craft spirit, then we fit the niche that they fulfill. And that gives us an opportunity to meet them at their price point where we are paying for high-quality products, but we are making a high-quality product as well — exclusively sourcing our grains from Black and brown farmers.”
He added: “That’s something that’s really exciting me because not only do I like whiskey and can make my own spirit now but actually doing that in a way that’s sustainable and creates a pipeline of business to people of color and support farmers and jobs. Hopefully, that model is continued.”
Spreading The News On Juneteenth
At the heart of the mission ahead is community — just like all of what Jenkins’ commits to. Being that his latest venture celebrates Black and brown entrepreneurs, the news being released when Juneteenth is observed is perfect alignment. While the holiday celebrates emancipation, Jenkins hopes that the building of the spirit brand will be a reflection of freedom, too.
