The Albany Gazette - Kultura Beverage Group Expands Executive Leadership Team with Appointment of Beverage Industry Veteran Cathy Popick

JACKSON, WY / ACCESS Newswire / August 10, 2026 / Kultura Beverage Group (OTCID:LTNC) ("Kultura" or the "Company") today announced the appointment of Cathy Popick as Executive Vice President, Commercial Strategy, marking another significant addition to the Company's executive leadership team as Kultura continues assembling an experienced organization to support the national growth of its beverage platform.

Popick brings more than three decades of beverage alcohol experience spanning Constellation Brands, Diageo, Coors Brewing Company and Starco Brands, with extensive leadership across national accounts, distributor strategy, route-to-market development, on-premise and off-premise channels, retail execution, pricing, forecasting, trade investment and new product commercialization.

Throughout her career, Popick has led commercial organizations responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in annual business, developed relationships across major U.S. beverage distribution networks and worked with many of the country's most influential national and regional retailers.

Her appointment comes as Kultura Beverage Group continues investing in the leadership, systems and commercial capabilities required to support the next stage of the Company's development.

"I believe the team we are assembling at Kultura has the potential to become one of the best in this space," said Scott Darnell, Chairman of Kultura Beverage Group. "That isn't something I say lightly. We are bringing together people who have built brands, managed hundreds of millions of dollars in beverage business, worked with the country's leading distributors and retailers, and understand what it takes to execute at national scale. Cathy is another significant addition to that group."

"What matters to me is that we aren't simply adding names to an organization chart," Darnell continued. "We are bringing in people who have actually done the work. Cathy understands distributors, national accounts, retail execution, forecasting and the disciplines required to turn points of distribution into sustainable case velocity. That is exactly the kind of experience we want around our brands as we enter this next stage."

PROVEN EXPERIENCE BUILDING AND SCALING BEVERAGE BRANDS

Most recently, Popick served as Vice President of Sales for Whipshots at Starco Brands, where she helped lead the commercialization and national expansion of the emerging spirits brand.

During her tenure, the business generated more than $100 million in retail sales and surpassed 500,000 cases since launch, while establishing approximately 20,000 accounts and 100,000 points of distribution.

Popick designed and executed route-to-market strategy supporting expansion into 47 states, working across major U.S. beverage distributors and state liquor control systems.

Her national account experience includes work with Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Total Wine & More, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Circle K, BevMo!, Binny's Beverage Depot, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco, Meijer, Ralphs, Rouses Markets, Safeway, Schnucks, Smith's, Spec's and Stater Bros., among others.

Popick has also developed national programming across major restaurant, hospitality and entertainment channels, providing experience across both the on-premise and off-premise sides of the beverage alcohol industry.

LEADERSHIP AT SCALE

Prior to Starco Brands, Popick spent approximately a decade with Constellation Brands, advancing through multiple senior commercial leadership positions.

As Vice President, National Accounts On Premise, Total Beverage Alcohol, Popick managed a 28-person organization responsible for approximately $200 million in annual beer, wine and spirits business across approximately 300 customers.

Previously, as Vice President, On Premise Channel, Beer Division, she led a 24-person organization responsible for approximately $500 million in annual business, delivering approximately 10.5% growth while overseeing national commercial strategy, distributor execution, customer development and trade investment.

Her tenure at Constellation also included leadership roles across national accounts, the Western U.S. on-premise business and the gaming channel.

Earlier in her career, Popick held senior commercial roles with Diageo North America, Coors Brewing Company and Guinness USA, giving her experience across spirits, beer, national accounts, regional market development and distributor management.

The combination of large-company commercial discipline and emerging-brand experience is particularly relevant to Kultura Beverage Group as the Company builds an organization intended to support significantly greater scale.

TURNING DISTRIBUTION INTO VELOCITY

Kultura believes Popick's appointment comes at an important stage in the Company's commercial development.

As the Company expands, management is increasingly focused not simply on the number of markets or accounts in which its products are available, but on the productivity of those markets and accounts.

Distribution creates access. Sustainable growth requires execution.

That means securing the right accounts, maintaining appropriate inventory, creating distributor accountability, supporting retailers, building consumer trial and converting initial placements into repeat orders and sustained case velocity.

Popick's career has encompassed each stage of that process.

Her responsibilities as Executive Vice President, Commercial Strategy will include supporting Kultura Beverage Group's national and regional account development, distributor strategy and execution, retail programming, market prioritization, forecasting, pricing, promotional planning, new product launches, commercial analytics and continued development of scalable sales processes across the Company's beverage operations.

"Cathy is one of the most proven industry operators spanning over three decades in Bev-Alc. She is the ultimate A Player in this industry who brings a level of national account and strategic commercial experience that immediately strengthens our growing team's dynamic skill set," said Daniel Robert "Bobby" Bilicki II.

"Opening markets and securing distribution are important, but that is where the real work begins. The objective is to make each market productive, improve execution at the distributor and account level and build sustainable velocity. Cathy understands that process because she has spent her career doing it," Bilicki continued.

"She understands what major distributors expect from a supplier, what retailers need to see from a brand and what a sales organization has to do every day to win at the account level. That experience is going to be extremely valuable as we continue expanding," Bilicki added.

SUPPORTING THE NEXT PHASE OF ADIOS

A principal area of focus for Kultura Beverage Group's expanding commercial organization will be ADIOS, the Company's tequila-based ready-to-drink cocktail platform.

As ADIOS continues its commercial expansion, Kultura is focused on building the infrastructure and commercial disciplines required to support sustainable growth across multiple markets simultaneously.

Those capabilities include distributor management, national and regional account development, chain-level programming, field execution, inventory and demand planning, forecasting, promotional effectiveness and measurement of account-level velocity.

Popick's experience helping scale an emerging spirits brand through a broad national distributor and retail network provides Kultura with directly relevant expertise as ADIOS enters its next stage of development.

At Constellation Brands, Popick operated within one of the beverage industry's largest and most sophisticated commercial organizations. More recently, she applied that institutional experience in an emerging-brand environment, helping build the distributor footprint, retail presence and commercial infrastructure required to support national expansion.

Kultura believes that combination is particularly well aligned with the Company's current trajectory.

BUILDING THE ORGANIZATION AHEAD OF THE GROWTH

Popick's appointment is part of a broader effort by Kultura Beverage Group to strengthen its organization ahead of anticipated growth.

Management is focused on building capabilities across commercial leadership, manufacturing and operations, distribution, national accounts, field execution, brand development and corporate strategy.

The Company believes establishing those capabilities before they are required at greater scale can improve execution, accountability and capital efficiency as its commercial footprint expands.

"We are building Kultura for where we believe this business can go, not simply for where it is today," Darnell said. "I have always believed great companies are ultimately built by great people who know how to execute. We have been very deliberate about bringing experienced operators into this organization, and I believe the caliber of the team coming together here is becoming one of Kultura's greatest strengths."

Darnell added, "We still have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, and execution is what ultimately matters. But when I look around the table at the experience, relationships and capabilities we are assembling, I am incredibly confident about the direction of this company. Cathy makes that team stronger."

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION AND LEADERSHIP

Throughout her career, Popick has received recognition for commercial performance, innovation and leadership.

Her professional accomplishments include Beverage Dynamics Rising Star Growth Brand recognition associated with Whipshots, VIBE Supplier of the Year recognition during her tenure at Constellation Brands, multiple customer Vendor of the Year awards and national account performance honors.

She has also served as an industry presenter, mentor and panelist and participated in professional development programs focused on negotiation, joint business planning, category management, organizational leadership and innovation.

Popick earned a Bachelor of Science from Louisiana State University and completed the Executive Development Program at Harvard Business School.

Her appointment as Executive Vice President, Commercial Strategy of Kultura Beverage Group is effective immediately.

ABOUT KULTURA BEVERAGE GROUP

Kultura Beverage Group (OTC: LTNC) is a publicly traded consumer beverage company focused on developing, operating and scaling differentiated beverage brands and consumer platforms.

Kultura's strategy combines brand development, manufacturing and operational capabilities, strategic partnerships, distribution relationships, national account development and disciplined commercial execution.

The Company is building an integrated beverage platform designed to support consumer brands through multiple stages of development, from product commercialization and manufacturing through distribution, retail execution and broader market expansion.

Kultura is focused on disciplined execution, strategic growth and the development of long-term enterprise and shareholder value.

For additional information, visit KulturaBrands.com.

MEDIA AND INVESTOR RELATIONS

Kultura Beverage Group
Investor Relations
[email protected]
KulturaBrands.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND SAFE HARBOR NOTICE

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and other applicable federal securities laws.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Kultura Beverage Group's business strategy; anticipated growth and expansion; the expected contributions of Cathy Popick and other members of management and the Company's commercial organization; the development, commercialization, distribution and expansion of ADIOS and other Company products; anticipated market expansion; distributor relationships; retail authorizations; national and regional account opportunities; manufacturing and operational capabilities; future production and inventory requirements; consumer demand; sales growth; points of distribution; case velocity; commercialization initiatives; strategic partnerships; organizational development; future capital requirements; and the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions regarding future operations and financial performance.

Words and expressions such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.

Forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections and are subject to significant risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, that could cause actual results, performance, achievements or developments to differ materially from those expressed, anticipated or implied by such statements.

These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's ability to successfully execute its business and commercial strategies; obtain sufficient working capital and financing; manufacture products in sufficient quantities and on commercially acceptable terms; manage inventory, logistics and supply-chain requirements; obtain and maintain distributor relationships; obtain and maintain retail and on-premise authorizations; successfully enter and support additional geographic markets; generate and sustain consumer demand; achieve anticipated sales volumes, points of distribution and retail velocity; effectively manage pricing, promotional and trade spending; maintain required licenses and regulatory compliance; protect intellectual property and contractual rights; attract, integrate and retain qualified personnel; effectively manage growth; compete against larger and better-capitalized companies; respond to changes in consumer preferences, competitive conditions and broader economic conditions; and address other risks inherent in operating and expanding an emerging consumer beverage business.

There can be no assurance that any market expansion, distribution opportunity, retail authorization, commercial initiative, strategic relationship, sales objective, operational improvement or other anticipated result described in this press release will occur within the expected timeframe or at all.

Statements concerning the historical accomplishments, commercial relationships, responsibilities or experience of Cathy Popick or other members of the Company's leadership are provided for informational purposes concerning their professional backgrounds. Historical results achieved by individuals at other companies should not be interpreted as guarantees, projections or indications that Kultura Beverage Group will achieve similar results.

The Company's plans, strategies and objectives remain subject to change based upon market conditions, available capital, regulatory developments, operational considerations and other factors.

Readers and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made.

Except as required by applicable law, Kultura Beverage Group undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events, subsequent developments or otherwise.

Investors are encouraged to review the Company's public disclosures available through OTC Markets for additional information concerning Kultura Beverage Group and the risks associated with an investment in its securities.

CONTACT
Kultura Beverage Group
Investor Relations
[email protected]
KulturaBrands.com

SOURCE: Kultura Brands, Inc.

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(Y.Harris--TAG)