Alex and Emily Wenner are high school sweethearts on the wild journey of raising four kids together. Alex’s passion for brewing began on a single burner in their college apartment, and grew into experience at some of New York City’s most iconic and beloved breweries.

In 2018, Alex and Emily started charting their course upstate, with the dream of raising their kids in a tight knit community, summers spent with their toes in the grass, and owning a local business where they share their passion for beer and hospitality.

Matt grew up in Maine and the Berkshires and still feels most at home when hiking the rocky seashore with his wife Deb and their three young adult children or fishing for trout in a mountain stream. At first glance, adding CFO of a craft brewery to his career portfolio of launching and leading multiple churches and non-profits may seem like quite a leap until you consider that he is simply modernizing the long marriage of clergy and brewing practiced by Belgium’s Trappist monks. Alex and Matt met in Brooklyn and developed a deep friendship over many craft beers, often bringing one another bottles to share from their travels. When Alex needed someone to handle the business side of the brewery so that he could focus on construction and recipe development, he knew that Matt would be a natural fit. Matt brings to the team years of experience managing budgets and teams, as well as seemingly boundless entrepreneurial energy and a love of diving into new experiences. In Brooklyn, Matt and his family are known for their wide open-door policy, hosting a never-ending revolving door of friends and family with indefatigable welcome, a practice he is excited to continue in Tivoli at Lasting Joy.

A Red Hook native, Katherine has always been passionate about the Hudson Valley’s agricultural heritage and small business community. She began her career at local farm-to-table restaurants before heading downstate to hone her hospitality and management skills, working everywhere from local pubs, wineries, and breweries to Michelin Star restaurants, all while tackling every position from bartender to General Manager.

She spent five years at Coney Island Brewery, where her and Alex originally met and worked together. While there she oversaw the expansion of their new taproom and restaurant. She raised the brewery’s profile in New York City, drawing visitors from around the world to its baseball stadium location on Coney Island’s legendary Surf Avenue. Katherine shares Alex and Emily’s vision of a more inclusive and equitable brewing industry. She is excited to bring that mission back to her hometown, continuing the Hudson Valley’s long agricultural excellence and warm hospitality tradition.