Hello!
“My relationship with the founders of Lifting Lucy has not only driven home the critical need to empower and lift all Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWoC), but has served as a conduit for my own personal growth and professional development. For most of my life I suffered from racial imposter syndrome, due to ethnic discrimination within my own family and in my community. Through Lifting Lucy, I have been inspired to embrace and celebrate my Mexican-American heritage. I’ve been able to claim my ethnic identity, and dispel the stigma of having a multiracial extended family. I want to pay it forward to other women who may feel that they do not have a right or a place in our industry, by providing opportunities to advance their education and careers.” - -
-Debbie Cerda
Debbie's Story
Debbie Cerda has a wealth of knowledge in technical content, marketing, social media, and business development. Debbie’s involvement in the Texas beer industry dates back over thirty years (e.g., opening director of Black Star Co-op, 7 ½ years with Jester King Brewery, and working or volunteering at other brewpubs in Central Texas).
Her notable nonprofit experiences include founding the first Pink Boots chapter in Texas (Austin) a decade ago and serving on the American Homebrewers Association Governing Committee for nine years (and founding chair of the DEI Subcommittee). She currently serves on the Pink Boots Society board and is chair of the Membership Task Force.
She has over twenty-five years of experience with nonprofit organizations, involving craft beer, STEM and environmental literacy, open source technology, and more. Her community outreach and support is vast, ranging from PAWS Shelter of Central Texas, to Caring Destiny, an impoverished village school in Uganda.