Manjit Minhas
Manjit Minhas | |
|---|---|
| Born | Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, television personality, angel investor |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Known for | Co-owner of Minhas Breweries & Distillery, investor on Dragons' Den |
| Notable work | Dragons' Den (since 2015) |
Manjit Minhas is a Canadian entrepreneur, television personality, and angel investor. She holds co-ownership of Minhas Breweries & Distillery, which manufactures beer labels such as Mountain Crest Classic Lager, Boxer Lager, Lazy Mutt Ale, and Huber Bock. With a strong background in marketing, emphasizing branding and sales, Minhas became part of the Dragons' Den lineup starting in its tenth season in 2015.
Her professional accolades include being named PROFIT magazine's "Top Growth Entrepreneur," inclusion in Canada's Top 40 under 40, receiving Chatelaine Magazine's "Top Entrepreneur Woman of The Year 2011," Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of The Year for the Prairie Region, and the Sikh Centennial Foundation Award in 2015. Beyond business, she engages in philanthropy by co-chairing The United Way campaign in 2017 and supporting a girls’ engineering school in India.
In terms of governance, Minhas joined the ATB Financial Board of Directors in 2017, contributing to both the Governance and Conduct Review Committee and the Human Resources Committee. She also became part of the Calgary Airport Authority Board of Directors in 2020.
In recognition of her influence, she received the inaugural Alumni of Influence Award from JA Southern Alberta at the Calgary Business Hall of Fame in 2017 and was again acknowledged with Canada's 40 under 40 award in 2018.
Personal life
Minhas began her academic journey studying engineering at the University of Calgary and University of Regina, but later redirected her focus toward entrepreneurship, particularly in business creation and marketing. During the early 2000s, she established her own marketing brand and introduced a wide range of beers, lagers, spirits, and related alcoholic beverages. Through strategic marketing efforts, the Minhas Brand earned acclaim among alcohol consumers. She resides in Calgary, Alberta with her husband Harvey Shergill and their two daughters. Her family heritage is Sikh Dogra.
Business
Alongside her brother Ravinder, Minhas entered the alcoholic beverage sector in 1999 while attending the University of Calgary by importing private label spirits for their family’s liquor store chain. Their operations expanded into beer importation by 2002.
In 2006, Mountain Crest Brewing Company purchased the Joseph Huber Brewing Company—the second-oldest brewery in the United States—acquiring rights to Huber and Rhinelander beer brands as well as Blumers soda. The facility located in Monroe was rebranded as Minhas Craft Brewery. By 2020, it had become the 18th largest craft brewery and ranked 28th overall within the U.S.
Minhas Craft Brewery’s portfolio includes Boxer Lager, Lazy Mutt Ale, Huber Bock, along with private label beers and spirits produced for retailers such as Costco, Trader Joe's, Lidl, Tesco, and Walgreens.
A second brewing location, Minhas Micro Brewery, commenced operations in Calgary in June 2012.
The organization also runs Minhas Distillery, Minhas Winery, and Minhas Kitchen based out of Monroe, Wisconsin.
Together, Minhas Breweries & Distillery reported revenues totaling $155 million in 2014.
In March 2022, Minhas was named Senior Advisor to the Board of Directors at Decibel Cannabis Company and was subsequently nominated to join its board later that year.
Media appearances
Since establishing her brewery, Minhas has significantly increased her visibility in the media. Her participation as an investor on Dragon's Den has notably enhanced her reputation within the business community. Known for her straightforward and honest demeanor, Minhas's approach to business appeals strongly to viewers. She regularly delivers keynote speeches throughout Canada and the United States and is professionally represented by The Lavin Agency. In 2017, she took on the role of celebrity judge at the Calgary Stampede Annual Parade.
Lawsuit
In 2002, Molson Brewery initiated legal action against Mountain Crest Brewing, citing resemblances between Minhas's primary product and Molson’s Old Style Pilsner; the matter was resolved privately outside of court.
Minhas claims that rival companies prompted an Ontario Provincial Police probe in 2005, which postponed her firm's introduction into Ontario's beer market. The investigation was eventually discontinued, and by 2009 Boxer Lager became available through Ontario's Beer Store network.