Nicole Stipp

co-owner, matson & gilman

Nicole joined forces with her best friend to create Matson&Gilman in 2016 after more than a decade in communications, PR and event planning. Matson&Gilman provides travel planning, private tasting and speciality distillery experiences to travelers. After 3 successful years of these concierge services, they launched Trouble Bar, a community space and neighborhood tavern, with a menu focused on exploring bourbon and whiskey - from dozens of curated flights, an inventive but approachable cocktail list and a commitment to hiring a majority women of color staff - Trouble Bar aims to make everyone feel including in the enjoyment of bourbon and whiskey.

Nicole spent more than a decade on the frontlines of corporate and socially conscious PR+marketing campaigns for clients as diverse as Yoko Ono, General Mills, Occupy Wall Street & The Guardian. She founded the Women's Information Network of New York City to serve as a hub of resources for NYC's best and brightest pro-choice, Democratic women and spent her final three years in Manhattan as the head marketing director for kate spade new york's On Purpose label - an effort to consciously source products from a woman-owned and operated factory in Rwanda. The program premiered on Good Morning America and she lead efforts to showcase the products to outlets like Harper's, GQ & InStyle. In 2015, the label was honored as the best Economic Empowerment program at the annual Citizens Awards.