The team

Below are a few members of the London office. You can contact them or any of the other DV team by emailing hello@distillventures.com

Frank Lampen, Co-Founder and CEO

Frank has set up several businesses, and advised dozens more, both inside and outside of drinks. He has a wide understanding of deal structures, launch strategies and effective brand positioning, and helps founders look for and achieve game-changing pivots to drive rapid growth. He has over ten years' experience in drinks, and blogs at frankaboutfood.co.uk

Shilen Patel, Co-Founder and Non-Alc Lead

Shilen started in drinks by leading a team at Guinness that turned around over 20 years of brand decline. He then started his own business and has since helped dozens of founders realise their potential. He's great at asking provocative questions, helping develop brilliant propositions and compelling strategies and coaching high performing teams to deliver great results.

Matt McKee, Managing Director, Rest of World

Matt started in the drinks industry over 13 years ago by leading and growing a premium contract manufacturing business. Working with premium spirits brands and UK Supermarkets he gained a strong understanding of the commercials of spirits production. Later he joined a premium sales and distribution company where he successfully led the rapid growth of a number of brands including Kraken Rum. He brings broad experience and knowledge of building a spirits brand from new product development to scaling to volume.

Ara Carvallo, Portfolio Director

Ara Carvallo, an international brand strategist and serial entrepreneur, has over 20 years of experience in the spirits industry. Prior to joining Distill Ventures, Ara launched many successful projects and consulted for both established spirits brands and startups around the world, using her finance and marketing expertise to help them attain global recognition and accelerate their businesses. She is also a trailblazer when it comes to sustainability, having founded the first-ever zero carbon bar show in the world and done pioneering research on the subject during her graduate studies.

Heidi Dillon Otto, Portfolio Director North America

Heidi spent 20 years in the natural & organic beverage and food categories before joining the Distill Ventures team. As a seasoned brand marketer and innovation strategist, she has led several start-up companies from inception through launch and in-market success. She brings general management expertise combined with a passion and particular focus on lifestyle brand authenticity, consumer and trade marketing connectivity and product innovation development.

Allie Warren, Head of Marketing

Prior to joining Distill Ventures Allie spent 6 years working in the Marketing departments of some of London's biggest bar & restaurant groups. Her experience includes dreaming up & driving partnerships with drinks brands, using original content to tell engaging stories and creating traction through digital and social engagement. As Head of Marketing, her focus is on making sure Distill Ventures is the first port of call for anyone interested in starting & scaling a modern spirit brand.