The Atonia Programme is the OurWhisky Foundation’s widely-acclaimed mentorship programme, a six-month personal and professional development course designed to elevate the careers of women in the whisky industry.
Meaning ‘strong as oak’, the name Atonia symbolises the wisdom, strength, resilience, endurance and growth of the programme’s participants, collectively known as ‘Atonia’s Acorns’.
Through a combination of mentorship, workshops and networking, the Atonia Programme is designed to support women and non-binary individuals in the global whisky industry by providing career clarity, enhancing confidence, building a supportive community and equipping them with key professional skills.
How it works
The Atonia Programme is comprised of three elements:
Mentorship
Candidates are hand-matched with an experienced mentor based on their location, individual experience, skills and goals. Comprised of monthly one-to-one in-person or virtual sessions, the mentorship aspect of the Atonia Programme is uniquely centred around the GROW model (Goal, Reality, Options, Will), incorporating the purpose-driven Japanese concept of ikigai to help steer participants toward clear personal goals.
Our mentors are some of the biggest names in the whisky industry. Explore our mentor directory here.
Personal & professional development
The programme includes a series of online workshops focused on developing confidence and self-awareness, with exclusive resources designed to enhance professional skills including networking, public profile building, unconscious bias, bystander intervention and public speaking.
Networking
Participants in each cohort will have exclusive access to the OurWhisky Foundation’s WhatsApp Community to interact with one another as well as peers in the industry.
What’s included:
A minimum of six monthly one-to-one meetings with a personally-assigned mentor.
Monthly digital workshops focusing on personal development, including an award-winning confidence workshop delivered by The Academe, designed to empower, motivate and improve self-awareness.
Access to exclusive resources designed to develop professional skills from understanding unconscious bias to public speaking.
Access to the OurWhisky Foundation’s growing WhatsApp community of Acorns and mentors.
A graduation party alongside your cohort and members of the OurWhisky Foundation community. All graduates receive a certificate and exclusive Atonia pin badge.
Exclusive discounts on further personal development programmes.
Opportunity to join a growing community of over 250 Atonia’s Acorns.
Why apply?
After completing the programme, our graduates report experiencing:
53% increase in confidence
49% increase in energy
27% increase in motivation
Meanwhile, over 30% go on to secure new job opportunities or promotions within 12 months of starting the programme.
Find out what past graduates gained from the programme:
“the Atonia programme truly empowers you to take control of your own path. it’s helped me find my voice and clarity around my goals. this programme gave me the confidence and tools to step forward without apology. It’s genuinely transformative, both personally and professionally.
– Victoria Charlton, luxury brand ambassador, Diageo & Atonia’s Acorn
Eligibility
The Atonia Programme is open to anyone aged 18+ who identifies as female or non-binary, and who is pursuing a career in the whisky industry. Whether you are looking to get into production, start your own brand or simply gain more confidence in your existing role, the Atonia Programme is an opportunity to build your career, hone your skills and connect with some of the most experienced people in the industry.
The 2026 Atonia Programme will be open to residents of the UK & Ireland only. There are just 25 places available.
Note: Those registered on another concurrent mentorship programme or studying for a full- or part-time qualification will not be eligible to apply. In addition, only those eligible to work in the programme’s region will be considered. If this is not you, please consider applying at a later date.
Key Dates
Application Process:
• 16th February 2026 - Applications open
• 6th March 2026 - Applications close
• 23-27th March 2026 - Interviews conducted with shortlisted applicants
• 27th April 2026 - Successful applicants notified
• 15th May 2026 - Course fee due
• 1st June 2026 - Programme begins
• 30th November 2026 - Programme ends
• January 2027 - Graduation
Workshops & ONLINE Sessions
Note: Workshop attendance is mandatory. Failure to attend may result in you forfeiting your place without compensation. Please ensure you’re able to attend the below online workshops before applying.
• Introduction: 1st June, 7-8.30pm
• Power Room: 22nd, 24th, 29th June and 1st July, 7-9.30pm
• Midway checkin: 24th August, 7-8.30pm
• Power Room and goal recap: 21st September 7-8.30pm
• Knowing your worth: 19th October, 7-8.30pm
• Final check-in and reflection: 23rd November, 7-8.30pm
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes! The Atonia Programme is open to any women+ working in the whisky industry, or who wants to work in the whisky industry.
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We hope to introduce future programmes in other key whisky regions in the near future, but as a non-profit we rely heavily on financial support from the industry in order to do so.
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Possibly, but finding a job shouldn’t be the sole reason you apply. A third of our Acorns do receive promotions and new roles within a year of graduating, but this programme is designed to help increase confidence, define goals and next steps. It is not your mentor’s role to help you find employment – if that is your goal, it is up to you to do the work to secure it.
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If you’re unable to attend the online sessions as mentioned in the course outline, please consider applying for another programme. Failure to attend the sessions may result from your removal from the programme without a refund of the course fee.
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You really do get out what you put in. Our most successful graduates come into the programme with a clear goal in mind. They are proactive in communicating with their mentor, asking questions and even requesting homework; they are engaged in every online session; and they are active in the WhatsApp community, supporting others and forging connections.
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Yes, of course. We simply require that all mentors have a minimum of five years experience in their chosen field. You’ll be interviewed by our team to assess suitability and (if we find a match), provided mentor training and support throughout the programme.
Programme Fees
Previous editions of the OurWhisky Foundation’s mentorship programme were conducted free of charge, however economic challenges coupled with our ambition to deliver the best possible professional development programme for women in whisky, means we now require a fee to participate in the Atonia Programme.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors and corporate partners, we are able to deliver our programme at a reduced rate of £200 +VAT per person. Only successful candidates will be asked to pay programme fees, and before the deadline of 15th May.
The cost of this programme is tax deductible and may be covered by your employer as a business expense. A very small number of scholarships will be available for applicants who are in a position of financial hardship. Please select this option on the application form if you’d like to be considered.
How to apply
Applications for our 2026 programme are now closed.
The Atonia Programme will be available in additional regions in the future. Please register for our newsletter below to stay informed.
Apply to be a mentor
The OurWhisky Foundation gratefully accepts applications from experienced members of the industry to become mentors for our programme. Candidates may be located anywhere globally and identify as any gender, but must have at least five years experience in their field of expertise. Mentors will be added to our database and contacted if a suitable match is found.
All mentors receive training prior to starting our programme, as well as a course handbook and monthly guidance from our team. Active mentors will be provided with continuous support from the OurWhisky Foundation team, as well as access to our private mentor community.
If you would like to be considered as a mentor, please complete this application form.
“I love the feeling of being able to give guidance to the next generation. I have had my mentors over the years but never had a platform such as this to help guide. I try to be the person I would have loved to have had as mentor if this programme had existed when I started.”
- Janice Snowden, Bushmills UK Brand Ambassador & Atonia Programme Mentor
Support US
It’s our ambition to roll the Atonia Programme out to additional global regions, ensuring everyone who requires our support receives it.
While the Atonia Programme is often described as ‘life changing’ by our graduates, it relies on financial support from donors and corporate sponsors to operate.
If you represent an organisation that is interested in supporting our programme, please get in touch.
