Manjit Minhas
Entrepreneur & Dragon
CBC’s Dragons’ Den
Manjit Minhas is known across Canada as a star of Dragons’ Den, the hit CBC series she joined 11 years and 11 seasons ago after establishing herself as the formidable entrepreneur behind Minhas Breweries & Distilleries – a privately-owned global empire with annual revenues in excess of $300 million.
Manjit started her companies as a 19-year-old petroleum engineering student by selling her Toyota RAV4 to enter the alcohol industry with the $10,000 return – and her brother, Ravinder. Despite competition from the multinational corporations controlling the beer industry, Minhas managed to establish itself in the marketplace by offering higher quality products at a better value than the competition and, within a decade, Manjit and Ravinder's parttime job had become a $100 million operation.
The siblings became the youngest brewery owners in the world in 2006 when they purchased the second-oldest brewery in the United States: the Joseph Huber Brewery in Monroe, WI. The facility was renamed the Minhas Craft Brewery and modernized to meet the demands of an ever-evolving industry.
Today, Manjit has over 90 brands of beers, spirits, liqueurs and wines. Her products are sold in five provinces, 47 American states and 16 other countries. Minhas companies have sold over 12 billion pints of Boxer Lager, Mountain Crest and other beers. She’s also created unique and successful distilled spirit products in numerous categories form vodka to whisky to Irish cream. In addition to creating custom brands for retail chains, Manjit also collaborates with celebrity partners such as Artingstall's Brilliant London Dry Gin, with Hollywood filmmaker Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Housemaid).
Manjit is passionate about giving back to her community and provides her time, energy and money to numerous charities such serving on the boards of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, Hull Services and a YWCA board that raised $50 million for an innovative new crisis shelter. She also co-chaired a $60 million United Way of Calgary and Area fundraising campaign.
Manjit has received several awards and honours, including an appointment by the Department of National Defense as the Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada; United Nations Global Citizen Award, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs, among many others.
