Renowned Master Blender Encourages Students to Own Their Craft and Find Their Voice

From making her mark in the whiskey industry to launching her own brand, Alabama A&M University alumna Eboni Major has built a career on innovation, determination and forging her own path. Now, the internationally recognized master blender and entrepreneur has returned to The Hill for Homecoming to share lessons from her journey and encourage students to take ownership of their futures.

Major partnered with fellow alumnus Craig “Moolah” Mitchell for “Own Your Craft, Own Your Voice,” a student-focused discussion Monday in the AAMU Multipurpose Room. The conversation explored personal branding, entrepreneurship, career development and the importance of using one's voice to create opportunities for others.

“I wanted to see how we can get students engaged to really understand their potential and what they have outside of just their degree,” Major said.

A Birmingham native, Major gained national recognition through her work with Bulleit Bourbon, a brand owned by global spirits company Diageo, where she helped develop the Single Barrel Program and award-winning Blenders' Select release. After leaving Diageo in 2021, she returned to her hometown and collaborated with Dread River Distilling Co. on its Master Series bourbon, released in December 2022. She subsequently expanded her career through consulting and product development for emerging spirits brands.

In June 2026, Major launched her own brand, Major Whiskey, featuring three limited-production rye whiskeys. . The collection includes a single-barrel straight rye and two specialty cask-finished expressions, reflecting her expertise in blending and flavor development. The collection is available through The WoodWork Collective.

But Major’s professional journey also brought her back to Alabama A&M as a student.

Delivering the 2023 keynote at the Freshman Torch Lighting Convocation brought her back to campus, and back to unfinished business. She re-enrolled and earned her Master’s in Food Science & Business in December 2025. She credits the experience, particularly her business coursework, with renewing her entrepreneurial ambitions.

“Going from the traditional food science graduate program to the newly developed food science business program ... kind of reinvigorated me to want to get back into whiskey,” Major said.

Her return to the classroom reinforced a message she wanted to share with current students: A degree can open doors, but the knowledge, relationships and experiences gained throughout a career can create opportunities far beyond a traditional job.

Major encouraged students to view internships and corporate positions as valuable opportunities to develop skills that could eventually help them build businesses of their own.

“There’s nothing wrong with going to corporate and staying there,” she said. “There’s also opportunities for you to make your own path and then hopefully bring other people along.”

That philosophy inspired the Homecoming session, and Major invited Mitchell to join her in bringing it to life. Mitchell also co-hosted the University’s revived Dusk 2 Dawn alumni celebration Thursday, Oct. 15, at the AAMU Event Center. Together, they encouraged students to recognize the value of their experiences, develop their personal brands and use their voices to advocate for themselves and others.

Major said she hopes students leave with a stronger understanding of how to take ownership of their careers while creating pathways for those who follow.

For Major, Homecoming is also an opportunity to reconnect with the University that helped shape her journey. She plans to spend the week on campus, visit classes and engage with students before returning to her business base of New Orleans.

“I just love being on campus,” she said.