Written by Noel Dolan, project lead for Vessi™ Fermentor & Dispenser, open innovation manager.
Whirlpool Corporation is a company of entrepreneurs; I think there’s no better example of its entrepreneurial spirit than our recent launch of Vessi™ Fermentor & Dispenser – which is available for preorder on IndieGogo with backers getting a price discount and other incentives. I’ve been so honored to be a part of this team, especially one that feels more like a startup. We’ve been talking to home brewers, attending beer festivals, looking at market research, and really making innovation at Whirlpool Corporation become a reality with this exciting new launch.
A vital part of the entrepreneurship spirit is the team that makes it possible, so I want to take a moment to recognize some of our team members who helped spark this idea and make it come to life, above and beyond the original Whirlpool employees who came up with the concept.
Bob has been deemed our W Labs Brew Master, His knowledge, passion and willingness to help guide us along this journey has truly been inspiring. We are lucky to have this type of beer knowledge spread throughout the halls of Whirlpool.
I couldn’t ask for a better champion for this initiative than Bryan – and I’m not just saying that because he’s my boss. He is constantly removing barriers so that our team can move fast while “dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.”
Mike brings an engineering mindset combined with a passion for beer to make sure we strike the right balance of production, feasability, and speed as we bring this product to market. I’ve stood with Mike in front of top tier breweries as they attempt to poke holes in our system, 1 by 1 he methotically addresses them and we always reloop to let the brewmasters know their input was heard, considered and often times drove change in the product.
Ryan is a top-notch technical lead and has helped us design and test the product. He started as a novice to home brewing and has now pretty much mastered the art. He’s been perfect for this project because he has the can-do attitude and is comfortable working at breakneck speeds.
Phill helps us stay connected in the digital world and reminds us to always focus on the story to make our product come to life. He’s our very cost efficeint consultant.
It’s these employees above with their entrepreneurial spirit and spirit of winning who are bringing this innovative product to life. We may work for a multinational corporation with 100,000 employees, but projects like this help us to feel flexible like a startup. I’m so excited about what the future will hold for Vessi™ Fermentor & Dispenser and glad to work with such a spirited team.