# Tara Hankinson

> Tara Hankinson is the co-founder and co-CEO of TALEA Beer Co., New York City's first woman-owned production brewery. After leaving jobs at PwC, The New York Times and a beer e-commerce startup, she and co-founder LeAnn Darland launched TALEA in 2019 to make craft beer approachable for the people it had long ignored. She runs the brand, marketing and a growing chain of design-forward taprooms across Manhattan and Brooklyn, with beer stocked in more than 1,300 retailers.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Co-CEO at TALEA Beer Co.
- **Organizations:** TALEA Beer Co., Hopsy (former), The New York Times (former), PwC (former)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BSBA, Bucknell University, MBA, NYU Stern School of Business
- **Known for:** Co-founded New York City's first woman-owned production brewery, Grew TALEA to five taprooms across Brooklyn and Manhattan (Williamsburg, Cobble Hill, West Village, Bryant Park, Penn District), Distribution in more than 1,300 retailers across New York State, including Whole Foods and Trader Joe's

## Career timeline

- **pre-MBA** — Management consulting at PwC
- **during MBA** — Took wine classes and worked at Wolffer Estate Vineyard on Long Island
- **post-MBA** — Marketing role at The New York Times
- **2018-2019** — Customer experience at beer e-commerce startup Hopsy, where she met co-founder LeAnn Darland
- **2019** — Co-founded TALEA Beer Co.; launched flagship Sun Up IPA in April 2019 and signed first lease in November
- **2021** — Opened flagship brewery and taproom in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in March
- **2022** — Named to Inc.'s Female Founders 250 list; raised over $2M from ~116 investors
- **2024** — Named to Inc.'s 2024 Female Founders 250 list; TALEA expands across NYC
- **2026** — Recognized on Inc.'s Female Founders 500 list; brewery grows to a team of roughly 60 and about $7.5M in sales

## Achievements

- Co-founded New York City's first woman-owned production brewery
- Grew TALEA to five taprooms across Brooklyn and Manhattan (Williamsburg, Cobble Hill, West Village, Bryant Park, Penn District)
- Distribution in more than 1,300 retailers across New York State, including Whole Foods and Trader Joe's
- Raised over $2 million from roughly 116 investors after being rejected by hundreds of VCs
- Closed a Series A funding round to fuel expansion
- Named to Inc.'s Female Founders lists (250 in 2024, 500 in 2026)
- Built a brewery reaching roughly $7.5M in sales with a team of about 60

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — TALEA continued its Manhattan expansion, with coverage of new location openings on the West Side.
- **2026-01** — Tara Hankinson recognized on Inc.'s Female Founders 500 list; TALEA reported around $7.5M in sales with a team of roughly 60.
- **2025-11** — Featured in a Washington Square News Q&A about building TALEA to break through craft beer's 'echo chamber.'

## Links

- Website: https://taleabeer.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarahankinson/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/taleabeer
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs8QJq5o_xQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ta_of_talea/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/taleabeer

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/tara-hankinson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-08