Jason Ridgel is an entrepreneur, community activist and now, whiskey distiller with an expert eye for innovation and creative collaborations that empower other small businesses. As a man of intrepid ventures and passions, Ridgel has founded brands and led successful businesses across various industries, including Jusco Medical, Hydrate the Hood, Opry Medical Group, and Guidance Whiskey. Each of his endeavors were born out of a commitment to uniting and uplifting his community and increasing the representation of Black-owned businesses across sectors. Graduating from Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business, Ridgel did not waste any time and launched his first company at 23.
He then went on to work as a probation officer, which opened his eyes to the need for employment opportunities for the formerly incarcerated. This inspired Ridgel to open his own cleaning service where he created jobs for 50 people from marginalized communities. He continued to cultivate his entrepreneurial spirit and diversify his portfolio, moving on to start two pain management companies—Jusco Medical and Opry Medical Group—and Kulture World, a fashion clothing line. In 2018, Ridgel saw an opportunity to tap into the spirits industry and launch Guidance Whiskey, an homage to his Southern roots and American whiskey traditions. Guidance Whiskey started as a passion project fueled by Ridgel’s desire to diversify the spirits category and introduce more Black-owned businesses to the industry. Appropriately, he chose the name “Guidance” in honor of the ancestors who passed down wisdom, excellence and treasured traditions to future generations. At the time, the whiskey industry was primarily interested in buzzworthy conglomerate brands rather than burgeoning businesses. Through tenacity and budding relationships with other Black-owned operations, Ridgel carved out his place amongst industry giants. He developed a quality product that appeals to a wide breadth of whiskey enthusiasts, while crafting a distinctive lifestyle brand rooted in Black, Southern culture.
Today, Guidance Whiskey is one of the few Black-owned premium craft small-batch whiskey brands in the country and is available online in 44 states.
No matter the venture, Ridgel’s underlying commitment is to curating and supporting brands with a purpose through unique partnerships. A self-proclaimed “serial collaborator,” Ridgel has worked with a multitude of brands including joint projects with musicians like Larry Dodson (one of the greatest funk singers of all time and Guidance Whiskey’s spokesperson and brand ambassador) and Chuck Indigo (recently named ‘Best New Artist’ by Complex Magazine); fashion and lifestyle brands like Jamah Bags, Thoroughly Crafted Goods and Southern Gentlemen Distributing; Nashville culinary hotspots like Willie B’s Kitchen, Chef Bunchie and Vena Cava Cookie Company; as well as beverage labels like Timeless Vodka, Twisted Sistuhs Wine, and Chicago’s Alulu Brewery and Turner Haus Brewery. He is also teaming up with a Nashville-based poets collective called Writers Block to create a piece and visual for Black History Month in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other revolutionary leaders in the community. Bringing his leadership skills to charitable initiatives, Ridgel also serves on the Board of Directors of Creatives Day, a non-profit organization that helps new, unsigned artists get their big break and founded Hydrate the Hood, a health initiative dedicated to providing alkaline water to underserved communities.
This year, Ridgel joins a collective of BIPOC-owned spirits brands in a film by indie producer and indie filmmaker and minority business advocate John Wayne S. III and prepares to launch new products under the Guidance Whiskey name–in collaboration with other Black-owned businesses, of course. As Guidance Whiskey continues to grow, Ridgel is dedicated to mentoring and boosting other Black-owned brands. His ultimate goal is to help guide 1,000 Black entrepreneurs in starting businesses and finding their niche as part of the newly formed Tennessee Minority Owned Wine and Spirits Association (TMOWSA).