Manjit Minhas

Leadership & entrepreneurial conference speaker Manjit Minhas is best known across Canada as a star of CBC’s, "Dragons’ Den".

She joined the hit series 10 years ago after establishing herself as the formidable entrepreneur behind Minhas Brewery, Distillery, and Winery — a privately-owned global empire with annual revenues of over $220 million.

An engaging and inspiring speaker, Minhas is as down-to-earth as she is business-savvy. In her highly customizable keynotes, she shares lessons learned from her two decades of groundbreaking business leadership, as well as the strategies used by some of the best entrepreneurs, innovators, and visionaries of our time to find and sustain long-term success.

Minhas was an engineering student at the University of Calgary, when she sold her Toyota RAV4 for $10,000 to start a business with her brother, Ravinder. They began importing spirits from the US to sell to Canadian bars and restaurants. This part-time job soon grew into a major enterprise, and, within a decade, Minhas Brewery, Distillery, and Winery was boasting over $100 million in annual revenue; a number that has since doubled. Minhas’ portfolio includes more than 90 brands of beer, spirits, liqueurs, and wine sold internationally. She also partners with celebrities from film, music, and other industries to create unique products.

As someone who has experienced the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, Minhas was keen to help others on their business ventures, and was excited to be approached by the CBC in 2015 to star on Dragons’ Den. Since joining the show, Minhas has invested in more than three dozen businesses. Minhas is also a committed philanthropist, who sits on numerous boards for charitable organizations, including the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, Hull Services, and a YWCA that raised $50 million for a crisis shelter. She also co-chaired a $60 million United Way of Calgary and Area fundraising campaign.

Minhas is committed to sustainability and social responsibility. She was the first brewer in Canada to voluntarily print warnings about drinking and driving and the risks of consuming alcohol during pregnancy on her products. She has also used her engineering background to innovate production processes and use the least amount of chemicals, gas, electricity, and water, and created a special 48-can pack for Costco with no plastic rings and the least amount of paper box material necessary to prevent excess materials from ending up in landfills.

In recognition of her work, Minhas has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. This includes being named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 by BNN Bloomberg, one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN, and a Top Growth Entrepreneur by PROFIT magazine, among many others. In 2024, Minhas was honoured by the United Nations Association in Canada with the Global Citizen Laureate Award in recognition of her commitment to the UN goal of gender equality. She was also named an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the Queen’s Own Rifles in 2023.

Minhas currently sits on the boards of Enbridge, YYC Airport Authority, and ATB Financial. She made history in 2024 when she became the first woman owner of a CEBL team. She and her brother, Ravinder, invested in the Edmonton Stingers — two-time champions of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Speaking Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Lessons from the Den & 25 Years of Business Success +

Manjit Minhas started her business as a 19-year-old with $10,000 and a dream. Today, her brewery is the 10th largest in the world.

An engaging and inspiring speaker, Minhas is as down-to-earth as she is business-savvy. In this highly customizable talk for entrepreneurs and leaders in any industry, she reveals the lessons she’s learned in her two decades of groundbreaking business leadership, as well as the strategies used by some of the best entrepreneurs, innovators, and visionaries of our time. -- 

Rising to the Top: Get the Best Through Inclusive Leadership +

How can we truly rise up to the occasions that challenge us? How can we harness exciting possibilities in a way that inspires others? How can we ensure everyone under our leadership has what they need to thrive?

Award-winning entrepreneur Manjit Minhas is a brilliant speaker who will show you how to make a difference in the lives of everyone around you. She shares how you can welcome diverse voices in your team and your company, why it’s crucial to provide both encouragement and critical feedback, and how to inspire people to persevere through challenges and look towards the future.

With wisdom and wit, Minhas shows audiences how to develop vision, grit, and true teamwork throughout their organization. “True leaders don’t create followers,” she says. “They create more leaders.” --

Empowering Women: Achieving in Male-Dominated Industries +

It’s so easy to conflate our positions, roles, and responsibilities with who we really are. It’s even easier to be scared when we start to see that these titles no longer represent us fully.

Manjit Minhas — CEO, entrepreneur, mother, wife, mentor, and investor — understands how hard it can be, especially for women. Creating a full, well-rounded life and career that’s truly your own means being brave enough to push the boundaries of your comfort zone, and move beyond the limiting definitions of yourself you may hold.

As the co-founder of a now-$155 million brewery, Minhas is living proof that women can — and should — achieve success in even the most male-dominated industries. In her 25 years running Minhas Breweries, Distillery, and Wineries, she’s combined savvy financial sense with passion, patience, and thick skin.

In this inspiring and accessible keynote, Minhas shares her stories of challenges in her personal and professional life and how she overcame them to re-define success and thrive. With candour, clarity, and unique insight, Minhas is the speaker sure to motivate and empower an entire generation of female innovators. --