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Thanks to the creative mind of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ alum Aaron Meisenheimer (‘00), co-owner and operator of Ink Factory Brewing, fellow Ospreys can enjoy the taste of the microbrewery's latest hazy pale ale aptly named “Swoop Session.” All Ospreys are invited to attend a for the new beer at the Jacksonville Beach brewery on Thursday, Sept. 5 from 5 to 10 p.m. 

Created through a collaboration with ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Athletics, a portion of the proceeds from the limited-run India pale ale (IPA) beverage will benefit the University’s student-athletes. Described as a “juice bomb,” Meisenheimer says the fruitful concoction is “not your dad’s beer.” And while his brewery has previously participated in fundraising collaborations with other local organizations, this is the first of its kind with ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ. 

Collaborating with ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ 

“It's fun being able to give back,” said Meisenheimer. “When it comes full circle back to helping your alma mater, it’s a really cool thing.” 

¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Director of Athletics Nick Morrow and his team are excited to partner with Ink Factory Brewing in support of student-athletes. 

“A beer collaboration with a local brewery has been on our list of initiatives for a while now,” said Morrow. “We have found a great partner in Ink Factory Brewing, and partnering with ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ alumni makes it that much better.” 

The partnership was made possible thanks to a connection between Meisenheimer’s colleague, Nicole Levy, and ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Assistant Athletic Director for Development Derek Marinatos, whose families are friends. Recognizing the opportunity to partner with a local brewery, Marinatos helped spearhead conversations earlier this year with the Ink Factory Brewing team to pitch a co-branded beer. Meisenheimer says he was immediately interested in the collaboration and is excited for everyone to experience the new beer. 

Time at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ 

Although he grew up in Orlando, Meisenheimer always had familial ties to Jacksonville and that’s one of the reasons he chose to enroll at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ; accompanied with his love of the ocean and surfing. 

While he displayed artistic capabilities from an early age, Meisenheimer says his family desired for him to direct his focus to the field of business. While taking general education courses, he found himself enjoying art classes and by his junior year, he knew majoring in graphic design was the right choice. 

“When I learned about graphic design and communication art and that you could run a business doing it, things just clicked for me,” he said. 

During his days as a student, Meisenheimer recalls the graphic design program being quite small — possessing only two Mac computers. However, he says he enjoyed the camaraderie with his classmates and the meaningful and lasting friendships he’s made. 

Eager to develop his graphic design skills, Meisenheimer says he spent many hours in the computer lab with his classmates. To build his portfolio, he began networking throughout Northeast Florida, creating websites and branding for local bands and businesses. 

“I hustled,” said Meisenheimer. “I did a lot of free stuff around town to make a name for myself and learn about the business.” 

Career in publishing and the formation of Ink Factory Brewing 

The hustle paid off as he landed jobs at several local marketing and branding agencies following graduation in 2000. While he learned a lot from those experiences, he desired to have a business to call his own. 

He became managing partner of Groundswell Media, Inc., a marketing and incubation company with a winning portfolio of media-related, event planning and digital companies. In 2010, he co-founded Void magazine, a North Florida culture and lifestyle publication that accumulated a circulation of 27,000. He also expanded his business portfolio, becoming a partner of Hoptinger Bier Garden & Sausage House in 2014. 

Due to COVID-19, Void magazine lost a considerable amount of its advertisers. As a result, Meisenheimer and his business partners decided to discontinue the publication. Looking to continue serving the Jacksonville Beach community and provide a location for people to congregate and enjoy themselves, they decided to transform their warehouse space into a microbrewery that offers a fun, laid back atmosphere. Their location features a tap room, coffee shop, thrift space and game room. Additionally, a coworking space is located on the second floor of the building. 

Since opening its doors in December 2021, Ink Factory Brewing has crafted an assortment of Hazy IPAs that locals have come to love. Fueled by creativity, the team frequently updates its menu with new beer selections. 

Business success and lessons learned at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ 

Although Meisenheimer keeps himself busy with the daily operations of his business, he acknowledges his success is a direct result of aligning himself with the right people. 

“You want to surround yourself with talented people that push you,” said Meisenheimer. “I’ve had good partners that have helped me succeed; it’s definitely not a one man show.” 

Meisenheimer also said having structure in one’s daily routine is a key component to acquiring and maintaining success — a lesson he learned as a ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ student. 

“The University gave me structure and purpose,” he said. “It gave me the tools to feel confident in my field once I graduated.”