Manjit Minhas facts for kids
Manjit Minhas is a Canadian entrepreneur and television star. An entrepreneur is someone who starts and runs their own business. She is also an angel investor, which means she gives money to new businesses to help them grow.
Manjit is the co-owner of the Minhas Breweries & Distillery. This company makes popular beer brands like Mountain Crest Classic Lager and Boxer Lager. She is an expert in marketing, which is the art of promoting and selling products.
In 2015, she became one of the "dragons" on the TV show Dragons' Den. On this show, successful business leaders like Manjit listen to ideas from new entrepreneurs and decide if they want to invest money in their companies.
She has won many awards for her success in business. These include being named a "Top Growth Entrepreneur" and one of the Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs in Canada. She was also listed in "Canada's Top 40 under 40."
Manjit also helps others through charity work. She has supported The United Way and helped build a school for girls in India. Since 2017, she has been on the board of directors for ATB Financial, a bank. In 2020, she also joined the board for the Calgary Airport Authority.
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Personal Life and Education
Manjit studied engineering at the University of Calgary and the University of Regina. However, she soon realized her true passion was for business. She decided to focus on creating her own companies.
She lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband, Harvey Shergill, and their two daughters.
Building a Business
Manjit and her brother, Ravinder, started their business journey in 1999. At the time, they were both students at the University of Calgary. Their first business idea was to bring in spirits for their parents' liquor stores. In 2002, they started importing beer as well.
Growing the Company
In 2006, their company bought the second-oldest brewery in the United States. This was the Joseph Huber Brewing Company in Monroe, Wisconsin. They renamed it the Minhas Craft Brewery. By 2020, it was one of the largest craft breweries in the U.S.
The brewery doesn't just make its own brands. It also makes beer and spirits for other companies and big stores like Costco and Trader Joe's. This is called private label production.
In 2012, Manjit opened a second brewery, the Minhas Micro Brewery, in her hometown of Calgary. The company also has a distillery, a winery, and a kitchen in Wisconsin. Together, all these businesses are part of the Minhas Breweries & Distillery group.
New Business Roles
In March 2022, Manjit was named a Senior Advisor to the Board of Directors for Decibel Company. Later that year, she was asked to join the board.
Appearing on Television
Manjit became a well-known public figure after joining Dragons' Den. People enjoy her honest and direct personality on the show, which is similar to her style in business.
She is also a popular speaker at events across Canada and the United States. In 2017, she was a celebrity judge for the famous Calgary Stampede Parade.
Business Challenges
Like many successful businesses, Manjit's company has faced challenges. In 2002, another beer company, Molson Brewery, had a legal disagreement with her company. They felt one of Manjit's products was too similar to theirs. The two companies solved the issue without going to court.
In 2005, her company had trouble selling its beer in the province of Ontario. An investigation caused delays. The investigation was later dropped, and her Boxer Lager beer became available in Ontario's Beer Stores in 2009.
