In this episode, you will hear from Brian Connors, the Founding Faculty Director of the Bacardi Center of Excellence at Florida International University. The Bacardi Center of Excellence is an educational partnership focused on teaching beverage management, fine spirits, industry innovation, sustainability, service excellence and entrepreneurship. Brian shares his experience earning his culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University, becoming a Certified Sommelier, working on a private yacht, why he was drawn to education, how the partnership between Bacardi and FIU came to be, FIU's incredible AI bartender Cecilia, what he's excited about for the upcoming years, and more. There are so many golden nuggets of wisdom throughout this conversation with Brian, enjoy!