O’Brien, Christopher Mark

Professionally, O’Brien has dedicated his time to organizing businesses as a force for positive social and environmental change. He spent seven years directing the Co-op America Business Network and the Fair Trade Federation. In 2005, he joined the Center for a New American Dream where he is now Director of the Responsible Purchasing Network.

In between these positions, Chris spent two years fully dedicated to beer. based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he travelled much of Africa, investigating traditional brewing styles, while reading and writing about beer and sustainability. He even put in a short stint as a professional brewer at the Zululand Brewing Co. in Eshowe, South Africa.

In 2004, he started publishing Fermenting Revolution as an online brewsletter. Use the sign up form for a free subscription. He has since become a regular feature writer for Zymurgy and New Brewer magazines, writes a column in American Brewer called Brewing a Better World, and regularly speaks at conferences and festivals.

O’Brien is part owner and a board director of Seven Bridges, a brick and mortar store in Santa Cruz, CA, and online retailer (www.breworganic.com) of organic homebrew supplies, as well as organic, fair trade home coffee roasting supplies.