One of Canada’s most well-known entrepreneurs will be in P.E.I. next month to share some tips about starting a business as well as describe what it’s like to be a woman breaking through a largely male-dominated industry.
Manjit Minhas will deliver the keynote speech during the 13th annual Biz2Biz Expo at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Eastlink Trade Centre in Charlottetown.
Minhas is well known as one of the co-judges on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and also helped build one of the world’s 10th largest breweries from scratch. Her unprecedented success demolished a stereotype in the notoriously competitive and male-dominated beer and spirits industry and helped clear a path for entrepreneurs of every age and gender.
“An entrepreneur’s passion is what gets you through every day and it also helps you see the bigger vision,” said Minhas. “If you have a dream, absolutely, you can live it.”
Minhas started Mountain Crest Liquors Inc. (MCLI) when she was 19 and in 2002 she entered the beer market with Mountain Crest Classic Lager. It became the first successful beer company to enter Canada in decades, with the brand now producing, developing and marketing more than 90 brands internationally while also having served more than six billion pints of beer.
She has since been profiled in Maclean’s and The Globe and Mail and was recently named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. Minhas is the author of the book “Brewing Up a Good Story” and has been named as one of Canada’s Women Executive Network’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs, Profit’s Top Growth Entrepreneur and Chatelaine’s Top Entrepreneur Woman of the Year.
The Biz2Biz Expo, co-sponsored by Arsenault Crozier and Stewart McKelvey, is a signature event of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce and showcases about 125 exhibitors to nearly 2,500 attendees every year.
Chamber president Jennifer Evans said the group is honoured to have Minhas as this year’s keynote speaker.
“Manjit’s innovation, determination and leadership will inspire our growing community of entrepreneurs.”
The expo provides the local business community the opportunity to network and showcase their products and services.
