Prevail.
Cheluna Brewing Co.’s commitment to creating a hub for their community helped them overcome personal and professional challenges faced during the pandemic.
Cheluna Brewing Co.
ICIC Program:
Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC)
Cheluna Brewing Co., which derives its name from a combination of the Mexican slang word for beer (chela) and the Spanish word for moon (luna), is the first Latinx-owned and operated craft brewery in Colorado. Husband and wife Jen and Javi Perez founded their brewery as a place of community and were inspired by the region where Javi’s family comes from in Oaxaca, Mexico. They do more than just make and sell beer, their brewery is a community hub and offers running clubs, live music by local musicians and other unique events. Prior to opening Cheluna, both Javi and Jen spent several decades working in community service – Jen as a Peace Corps volunteer and teacher, and Javi as an ER physician at the Denver VA Medical Center where he still currently works. Through the unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheluna’s founding values of cultivating community in addition to brewing high-quality beer helped them weather the hard times.
