Doug Cruitt

Doug Cruitt stepped into the role of Executive Director of Distillery Labs in Peoria starting in July 2023. He is the founding principal of RIVR Strategic Coaching, a boutique strategic consulting and coaching firm specializing in entrepreneurship, leadership, and strategic support to help others grow, lead, and succeed. He also serves as a mentor at gener8tor, a nationally ranked accelerator program, and the University of Illinois’ iVenture Accelerator program, is a committee member for the Peoria Chamber’s Community Leadership School, and is a member of the Peoria region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Team.

He has founded or helped others launch and scale more than 15 startups over the course of his career. Additionally, Doug has worked in senior roles in business development, strategy and operations for corporations ranging in size from five to 20,000 employees.

As a third-generation Eagle Scout, he is passionate about serving others & building community.

Doug received his undergraduate degree in agricultural communications & education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and he received his MBA in healthcare management from Western Governors University.