When Ken Dillon enrolled at UAA to study biological sciences, he imagined pursuing a future career as a veterinarian. But while he didn’t end up treating animals, his degree gave him the scientific foundation — and the resilience — that would eventually ferment into something completely unexpected: a career in wine.

Today, Dillon is the founder and owner of Footprint Wine Tap in Seattle, a wine bar that combines his love for sustainability, creativity, science and, most importantly, community. Through Footprint, he champions eco-friendly wine solutions, such as serving wine on tap via reusable stainless steel kegs to reduce carbon emissions by up to 95% compared to traditional glass pours. But for Dillon, the wine is just the starting point. The true goal is creating a communal space where people connect.

Connecting over a table of good food or drink has always been important to Dillon. Born in Tacoma, Washington, he moved to Alaska as a teen to spend more time with his mother, a professional chef. In addition to watching her work, he spent the long summer days fishing, hiking, camping and digging for clams. Over his 13 years living in Alaska, Dillon fell in love with the outdoors, which inspired him to major in biological sciences at UAA.

“Ever since I was little, I was fascinated by how life operates,” said Dillon. “All those questions led me to want to study biology as a means of trying to figure out what life is all about. What is my body? What is my mind? What is everything?”

After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 2006, Dillon entered a tough job market — even volunteer opportunities had long waitlists. Despite the affordability of UAA tuition, student loans still loomed. So he pivoted and moved to Seattle where he volunteered at the Seattle Aquarium. To pay the bills, Dillon started temping in human resources, which turned into a 10-year career.

As the years passed, Dillon began asking himself the big questions: What was he passionate about, and what would keep him engaged long-term? The answer surprised even him: wine. 

A longtime hobbyist and enthusiast, Dillon had spent years exploring tasting rooms, throwing wine parties with friends and geeking out over flavor profiles. With his biology background and a minor in classical vocal performance, he found winemaking to be a perfect blend of science and artistic expression.

“I was like, ‘It might be time for me to figure out what I want to be when I grow up,’” joked Dillon. “I love the artistry and science behind winemaking and also just creating a space for community. So I tied it all together to make a space that I can be proud of while having the communal aspect of it, just sharing an experience while making and drinking wine.”

Dillon spent the next four years conducting market research, building a business plan and cultivating a network of supporters. Inspired by his upbringing around food, he focused on creating a space that emphasized sustainability and togetherness. With the help of private investors, his partner and his own retirement savings, he launched Footprint Wine Tap in 2018.

Starting a business can be a challenging endeavor. Bars and restaurants, in particular, receive less start-up capital from banks and shutter at a rate of 17% before the first year of operations. Thankfully for Dillon, his time at UAA taught him how to persevere.

“Every day I think about what my time at UAA taught me: that resilience is so critical when you have something you're passionate about and want to pursue,” said Dillon. “I had a lot of failures during my time in the biology program, but I stuck it out, and that taught me that just because something is challenging doesn’t mean it’s impossible. That mindset helped me launch this business.”

Looking back, Dillon sees every phase of his life — biology, HR, wine — not as detours, but as connected steps in a much larger journey. 

“Going back to biology — we’re all connected, more so than not,” he said.