Samuel Adams announced it will host small business Speed Coaching in San Francisco on Monday, May 19th as part of Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, a micro-lending and coaching program for small business owners working in food, beverage, craft brewing and hospitality.
The Speed Coaching event will be held from 7:00-9:30 PDT at SOMArts (934 Brannan St.), and provides one-of-a-kind access to business industry experts. Attendees will be able to participate in up to six 20-minute, high-impact sessions with coaches in areas such as sales and distribution, packaging, finance, and marketing.
In San Francisco, Samuel Adams coaches will be joined by experts from Opportunity Fund, California's leading microfinance provider, and other local business experts. Small business owners working in food, beverage, hospitality and craft brewing can register online for the free event at http://btadsf.eventbrite.com, and are encouraged to come prepared with questions regarding specific business challenges they face. They are also encouraged to bring samples of packaging, point of sale material, and other items on which they seek feedback.
"We're looking forward to bringing our Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Speed Coaching back to San Francisco," said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams. "It's great to work with and support these passionate small business owners who make up San Francisco's booming food and beverage community."
Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream coaching and mentoring has already had a positive impact on the community. Just ask Jim Woods, owner of San Francisco craft brewery MateVeza. Woods worked with Samuel Adams experts on a number of different business issues including ingredients sourcing strategies, and from that collaboration he was able to secure and sign his first hops contract.
Year-Round Lending Spurs Success
In addition to coaching, Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream supports the San Francisco small business community year-round by working with microlender Opportunity Fund to provide microloans to small business owners who are often shut out of traditional lending institutions due to lack of credit, the small size of the loan request, or the volatile nature of the food and beverage industry.
Brewing the American Dream, in partnership with Opportunity Fund, is able to see beyond these barriers to provide microloans to viable small businesses to help them grow and succeed. Two of the most recent loan recipients include:
* Victor Valenzuela, owner of V+M Ice Cream, ran a successful ice cream truck for more than 14 years before he decided to open a storefront location. He needed additional capital to make it a success, and was able to secure a Brewing the American Dream loan through Opportunity Fund to help purchase equipment and increase marketing initiatives.
* Alicia Villanueva, owner of Tamales Los Mayas, emigrated from Mexico in 2010, and brought her love for cooking homemade tamales with her. She began selling them from a street cart, but dreamed of expanding her business. Through Brewing the American Dream, her dream is now becoming a reality. With a $15,000 microloan through the program, Alicia will be able to purchase a pick-up truck to deliver orders and keep up with increasing demand. As Alicia put it, "I am truly living the American Dream."
"Opportunity Fund is proud to partner with Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream to help more Bay Area entrepreneurs access microloans that make a macro impact," said Eric Weaver, CEO of Opportunity Fund. "As demonstrated by Brewing the American Dream loan recipients like Victor Valenzuela, these funds allow owners to grow their small businesses and create more jobs throughout the region."
Raise a Pint to Brew a Dream in San Francisco
Samuel Adams also recently announced the kick-off to "Raise a Pint, Brew a Dream," a month-long program providing an opportunity for drinkers in San Francisco, and across the country, to support small businesses by simply enjoying a Samuel Adams Boston Lager. As part of the initiative, throughout the month of May Samuel Adams will donate five cents to the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream microloan fund at Accion for every Samuel Adams Boston Lager draft sold at participating bars and restaurants across the country.*