{"id":113529,"date":"2019-07-09T13:24:45","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T19:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/?p=113529"},"modified":"2019-07-20T18:56:32","modified_gmt":"2019-07-21T00:56:32","slug":"mba-student-richard-fierros-atrevida-beer-co-wins-governors-minority-business-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/?p=113529","title":{"rendered":"MBA student Richard Fierro\u2019s Atrevida Beer Co. wins Governor\u2019s Minority Business Award"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UCCS MBA student Richard Fierro at Atrevida Beer Co., which he co-owns with his wife, head brewer Jessica Fierro. Atrevida is the first Latino-owned brewing company in Colorado with a female head brewer.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At\u00a0<\/span>Atrevida<\/span>\u00a0Beer Company, you won\u2019t just find brews flavored with Latin-inspired fruits and spices \u2013 you’ll find a healthy serving of diversity, too.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Atrevida<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is co-owned and operated by Richard Fierro, a U.S. army veteran and current UCCS MBA student, and his wife and head brewer Jessica.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s the first<\/span>\u00a0Latino-owned brewing company in Colorado with a female head brewer. And it\u2019s just won Governor Jared Polis\u2019s inaugural Governor\u2019s Minority Business Award.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (COEDIT), the awards\u00a0<\/span>“recognize for-profit businesses that have contributed to the economic diversity and success of minority communities across Colorado\u201d.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nominated businesses face a\u00a0hefty scoring criteria: they\u00a0<\/span>must demonstrate their commitment to diversity in business practices, community engagement, job creation<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and more. And they must illustrate\u00a0<\/span>that they contribute to\u00a0<\/span>the economic<\/span>\u00a0diversity and success of minority communities in Colorado.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At\u00a0<\/span>Atrevida<\/span>, these criteria are par for the course. Richard and Jessica write on the company\u2019s website that \u201cdiversity is on tap\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The couple purchased the former Great Storm Brewing space in June 2017, after Jessica won cable network\u00a0<\/span>Viceland\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Beerland<\/span>\u00a0homebrewing competition show with her tamarind-infused\u00a0<\/span>Do\u00f1a Neta brew. By April 2018, Atrevida Beer Co. was open for business.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Jessica taking the lead on the brewing side \u2013 creating beers imbued with guava, Mexican chocolate, lemongrass,\u00a0<\/span>cinnamon<\/span>\u00a0and agave \u2013 Richard has applied his MBA coursework to build out the\u00a0<\/span>ethics, marketing, operations and accounting sides of the business.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe UCCS MBA program has been challenging and rewarding<\/span>,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0Richard says.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe instructors are\u00a0<\/span>engaging<\/span>\u00a0and all have been very supportive of assisting me when I have real world questions for my small business. They have given me the opportunity to\u00a0<\/span>actually apply<\/span>\u00a0projects and lessons to my small business that I can use in real time<\/span>.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n