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Graham Sherman

Owner, Tool Shed Brewing Company

Graham Sherman
Stubbornly Disrupting Alberta's Beer Industry
Virtual Reel
Teaming Up and Toughing It Out
Going After the Thing You Want in Life
How Tool Shed Changed Alberta
From Geek to Master Brewer
Living and Thriving in a World of Regulatory Risk
Graham
Graham Sherman
Stubbornly Disrupting Alberta's Beer Industry
Virtual Reel
Teaming Up and Toughing It Out
Going After the Thing You Want in Life
How Tool Shed Changed Alberta
From Geek to Master Brewer
Living and Thriving in a World of Regulatory Risk

Graham Sherman is a self-professed “high level geek” who used his love of technology to disrupt an entire industry. In 2013, Sherman took homebrewing “too far” when he launched the Tool Shed Brewing Company. What was originally a hobby in his backyard tool shed is now a 22,000 square foot brewery with product sold in over 1000 locations. Speaking on his bumpy entrepreneurial journey, Sherman’s passion comes through in every talk as he shows audiences how to harness disruption to transform their lives.

Prior to starting Tool Shed, Sherman, along with his business partner, worked on contracts for the Canadian and US governments and military forces, installing encrypted, tactical communication networks. By day, they rolled around Afghanistan in armoured vehicles, “geeking out” in the world of satellite communications. By night, they aimed their obsessive, high-level thinking at mastering everyday tasks such as roasting their own coffee beans and brewing the perfect cuppa, learning to control their homes in Canada remotely with their iPhones, and finally, perfecting batches of beer.

After quitting his well-paying, stable government job to jump head-first into the craft brewing industry, Sherman quickly learned that his new-found vocation was actually illegal in his home province of Alberta. So, he changed his game plan from simply brewing craft beer to disrupting the industry. It took one year of relentless perseverance for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Corporation to change their legislation. It was through this process he learned the importance of adaptability, resiliency, and collaboration in any success story, and it is these traits that helped his brewery see sustained success throughout a difficult pandemic.

Sherman has been nominated for Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year, was named one of Calgary’s 2016 “Top 40 Under 40” by Avenue magazine, and won the 2018 Business in Calgary Leaders Award.

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

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Client reviews

  • Graham’s keynote was very well received by our group. I have been hearing nothing but good things about his presentation. He was funny, he was engaging and he really incorporated our company values and theme into his presentation. He was the best speaker that we have ever had for this conference, thank you so much for recommending him.

  • Graham Sherman’s presentation was very well received. It was timely, relevant, and authentic, and his story really connected with the audience. He was so gracious and approachable, and the networking opportunity and samples of Toolshed beer were the icing on the cake.

  • Graham was energetic and inspirational! He speaks with such enthusiasm about overcoming the challenges placed in front of a small business. This is a perfect fit for the members of our organization. Much like the craft beer industry our seed growers all run their own farm seed businesses. They also need to work together to make the industry stronger. Graham’s presentation encouraged our growers to stand up to those that challenge you with negativity; something that is easy if you truly believe you have the best possible product out in the market place. When our program was all wrapped up, many delegates made a point of letting me know how much they had enjoyed the evening and that means we accomplished our goal!

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