Brewing the American Dream - The Boston Beer Company and Accion
Now the largest of America’s micro-brewers, Boston Beer harkened back to its boot-strapping, small business roots in deciding to focus on helping food and beverage entrepreneurs through mentorship and loans administered by Accion via their’Brewing the American Dream’ cause marketing initiative. Brewing The American Dream (BTAD) increases the success of small food, beverage & hospitality businesses through:
The BTAD Loan Fund. The branded loan fund at Accion provides small business owners with access to loan capital and technical support. Accion administers the loan program and provides fairly priced and flexible financing and long-lasting business support. Through microloans ($500 – $25,000) small businesses can access resources to start or grow their business such as purchasing inventory or essential equipment; marketing their business; paying licensing fees; hiring employees; building a website; or creating marketing materials.
BTAD Speed Coaching Events. These employee skilled-volunteerism events offer business owners the opportunity to benefit from counseling from active professionals. Akin to Speed Dating, Speed Coaching brings together Samuel Adams discipline-specific experts in branding, marketing, public relations, e- commerce, packaging, legal, sales and distribution, HR and graphic design. Small business owners participate throughout the evening in vibrant one-on-one coaching sessions with Samuel Adams employees including founder and brewer, Jim Koch.
BTAD Product Opportunities. Samuel Adams knows that providing lower and moderate-income business owners with access to new customers is essential for their continued growth and success. They seek to open doors for BTAD and other food, beverage and hospitality businesses in a variety of ways: from partnering to make collaborative products that are sold online or cross merchandised at retail to buying ingredients to be used in or paired with Samuel Adams products.
BTAD Brewing & Business Experienceships. In addition to capital made available through Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, craft brewers nationwide have the opportunity to apply for the Samuel Adams Brewing & Business Experienceship which allows one craft brewer to embed in the company for two-days of education and enrichment experiences with Samuel Adams brewers, business function experts, and Jim Koch.
First launched in 2008 as an East Coast pilot, in 2012 Samuel Adams expanded Brewing the American Dream nationwide to all 50 states. Brewing the American Dream has disbursed 220 loans totaling over $1.9 million and created/saved over 1,400 local jobs. The program has engaged nearly 100% of company employees in meaningful volunteer experiences, increased local relevance and community relationships in select focus markets and enhanced trade partner relationships for The Boston Beer Company.