Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Hosts Second Annual Small Business Speed Coaching in Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Samuel Adams announced that it will host its second annual small business speed coaching in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, October 22^nd. With a focus on food, beverage, craft beer and hospitality businesses, the event is part of Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, a unique program that supports small business owners through a combination of micro-lending and mentoring. 

Working with nonprofit microlender Accion and its local partner –the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) – Samuel Adams will host the speed coaching session from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at LivingSocial  918 F Street NW (between N 9^th-10^th Sts), Dupont Room on the 4^th Floor. Attendees can participate in up to six 20-minute, personalized coaching sessions with experts from Samuel Adams, local business experts and LEDC who will be available to address a variety of business issues. For example, a small business owner with a social media question may meet with a digital marketing specialist who can provide specific ideas and tools to help engage customers digitally. Participants are encouraged to come prepared with questions regarding challenges their businesses are facing. Admission is free, but registration is required. Register online: https://samadamsbtaddc.eventbrite.com/.

DC-Area Lending
In addition to providing speed coaching, Brewing the American Dream funds microloans to Washington, D.C. - area businesses that are often considered too risky by traditional lenders, yet are at the forefront of job creation and economic development within their communities. In partnership with LEDC, Brewing the American Dream has recently distributed loans to:

• INDIGO (243 K Street NE, Washington, D.C.) - Immigrant owners Dinesh and Nidhi Tandon received a $10,000 loan to purchase equipment and expand their start-up Indian restaurant in D.C.  They hope to create new jobs as they expand, and the restaurant is quickly becoming a neighborhood favorite known for its authentic and tasty cuisine.
• Chew Chew (11212 White Barn Ct., Gaithersburg, MD) - Andres Gutierrez received a $10,000 loan to upgrade his food truck and customize the exterior to help improve Chew Chew's image and brand.  Andres partnered with Anahita Mirrejali, who has more than 10 years of food industry experience, to serve as head chef. They hope to create a fan following with their Latin-inspired food throughout the D.C. metro area.

Beyond Financing
Samuel Adams brewer and founder Jim Koch created the Brewing the American Dream program to help small business owners overcome the same obstacles he faced nearly 30 years ago when brewing Sam Adams in his kitchen – that is, accessing financing and nuts-and-bolts business advice.

"We're excited to host our second Brewing the American Dream Speed Coaching event in the nation's capital, and are looking forward to attracting more small business owners from this great food and beverage town into the program," said Samuel Adams brewer and founder, Jim Koch. "For us, supporting small business means more than just slipping a check under the door.  Providing real-world business advice is necessary for success, and was often difficult to come by when I was starting Samuel Adams almost 30 years ago."

Since its 2008 introduction, the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program has coached 3,000-plus professionals, provided more than $2.5 million in microloans to more than 285 small businesses nationwide, and created or retained upwards of 1,800 jobs.

For more information about the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, please visit http://btad.samueladams.com/.

About The Boston Beer Company
The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that Founder and Brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father's attic. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to life in his kitchen.  Pleased with the results of his work, Jim decided to sample his beer with bars in Boston in the hopes that drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavored beer he brewed fresh in America.  That beer was aptly named Samuel Adams Boston Lager, in recognition of one of our nation's great founding fathers, a man of independent mind and spirit.  Little did Jim know at the time, Samuel Adams Boston Lager soon became a catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.

Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 50 styles of beer.  It relentlessly pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of classic beers by searching the world for the finest ingredients.  Using the traditional four vessel brewing process, the Company often takes extra steps like dry-hopping, barrel-aging and a secondary fermentation known as krausening.  The Company has also pioneered another revolution, the 'extreme beer' movement, where it seeks to challenge drinker's perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company has been committed to elevating the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions around the globe, and in the past five years has won more awards in international beer competitions than any other brewery in the world. As an independent company, brewing quality beer remains its single focus. Although Samuel Adams® beer is America's largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for only one percent of the U.S. beer market.  The Boston Beer Company will continue its independently-minded quest to brew great beer and to advocate for the growth of craft beer across America. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com.

About LEDC
Working families deserve to live in affordable homes and own successful small businesses, but too many are unable to turn those dreams into a reality. The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) equips Latinos and other D.C.-area residents with the skills and financial tools to create a better future for their families and communities. Participants in our programs learn how to buy and stay in their homes, take control of decisions affecting their apartment buildings, and start or expand small businesses. For more information, go to www.ledcmetro.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Accion
In seeking a partner for Samuel Adams' Brewing the American Dream, The Boston Beer Company turned to Accion to facilitate lending to hardworking business owners seeking to grow. As the largest nationwide micro- and small business lending network in the United States, Accion connects small business owners with the accessible financing and advice it takes to create or grow healthy businesses. Since 1991, the five members of the Accion U.S. Network have collectively made over 47,700 loans, totaling over $380 million. Additionally, over 400,000 business owners across the nation have turned to Accion for financial and business advice via workshops, online tools, and one-on-one consultations. Globally, Accion (www.accion.org) is a pioneer in microfinance, reaching millions of individuals through its international network of partners. For more information visit us.accion.org.

SOURCE Samuel Adams