Samuel Adams Continues to Help Small Businesses Grow and Brings Brewing the American Dream Speed Coaching to Las Vegas for the First Time

LAS VEGAS, May 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Samuel Adams announced it will host its signature small business Speed Coaching in Las Vegas for the first time on Tuesday, May 17^th. Designed to provide expert, personalized business advice, this dynamic event is part of Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, a coaching and micro-lending program for small business owners working in food, beverage and craft brewing. Developed in partnership with Accion, the nation's largest nonprofit micro- and small business-lending network, Brewing the American Dream is the core philanthropic initiative for Samuel Adams.

The Speed Coaching event will take place from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. PT at the Zappos Headquarters (400 Stewart Ave.), and is structured so that small craft business owners can partner with various experts to generate new ideas and strategies that will help their businesses succeed. Each entrepreneur can participate in up to six 20-minute personalized, high-impact sessions with some of the area's best small business specialists, as well as subject experts from Samuel Adams, Accion and Zappos.

Held in cities across the country, Brewing the American Dream Speed Coaching events have supported thousands of food/beverage craft businesses with practical and real-world business advice. From sales and distribution to packaging, finance, e-commerce and more, no small business subject is off-limits. Participants should come prepared with questions regarding specific challenges and problems their businesses are facing, and are also encouraged to bring samples of their products and packaging. While the event is free, small business owners should register online at http://bit.ly/BTAD-Vegas-SC.

"The craft small business community is strong and growing in Las Vegas, and we're excited to support it through this fun and educational event," said Jim Koch, brewer and founder of Samuel Adams. "Our goal is to provide nuts-and-bolts business advice – basic things I wish I had when starting Sam Adams like how to setup a payroll or negotiate a lease – that can make a real difference yet is often hard to find."

Jim Koch recently chronicled the opportunities and challenges of starting The Boston Beer Company and introducing Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his new book, Quench Your Own Thirst: Business Lessons Learned Over a Beer or Two. With unconventional and unvarnished lessons for business and life, all profits from the book will be donated to help fund the Brewing the American Dream program. 

"In addition to being a leader in the micro-lending industry, it is through partnerships like Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream where Accion can provide bridge and bond capital for entrepreneurs who are seeking valuable business training" said Anne Haines, CEO of Accion. "This speed coaching partnership is a powerful and effective way to provide fast, diverse advice to entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry."

Brewing the American Dream in Las Vegas

In addition to coaching over 6,000 businesses since the program was launched in 2008, Samuel Adams and Accion have provided more than $9.6 million in microloans to nearly 900 small food and beverage businesses around the country. Typically ranging from $500-$25,000, these loans often help local entrepreneurs who've been turned down by traditional lenders.

In Las Vegas, Luciano Pellegrini, owner of Dolce Vita Gelato, is one of the small business owners who recently received a loan through the Brewing the American Dream program.  Luciano, a James Beard Award-winning chef, used his loan to open a production facility and invest in new equipment that enabled him to increase production capacity to sell wholesale and source restaurants regionally.

Samuel Adams, Sam Adams, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream are registered trademarks of The Boston Beer Company.

About Samuel Adams and 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 would soon become a catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.

Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 60 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 is one of world's most awarded breweries at international beer competitions. As an independent company, brewing quality beer remains its primary focus. Although Samuel Adams beer is America's leading 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 Accion

Accion connects small business owners with the financing and advice it takes to create or grow healthy enterprises. Since 1991, the members of the Accion U.S. Network have lent to over 50,000 people in the U.S.

For more information, visit www.us.accion.org or call 1.800.508.7624.

About Zappos

Zappos.com was established in 1999 to offer the best possible online shopping experience for footwear. Over the years, the selection has grown to include not only footwear but clothing, accessories, and more. Named a J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champion, rated ELITE by STELLAService, and recognized as one of FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For® 6 years in a row since 2009, Zappos.com continues to strive for excellence in customer service.

SOURCE The Boston Beer Company

Related Links

http://www.samueladams.com