Ambitious Ales is composed of five young entrepreneurs who aspire to contribute to society in a creative and impactful way. Our personal stories and ethnic backgrounds are as diverse as our beer ingredients. Two of the founders, including myself, are immigrants from the Philippines and Mexico. We were instilled with the concept of hard work and the motivation of the American dream. The dream for us has been the opportunity to use our skills, passion and creativity to produce a product and space that builds relationships. We have all invested over 6 years of researching, learning and cleaning (a lot of cleaning) to advance us to this point. We are just a few months and a lot more hard work from our dream. An investment in Ambitious Ales is an investment in the community.
My personal story into the world of craft beer began while I was a graduate student. I saw how home-brewing became an opportunity for friends to get closer which made me realize the power a brewery could have to bring even more people together. I earned my masters in social entrepreneurship and it’s fueled my passion to use the brewery as a vehicle for social good.
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Choose a borrower
Browse categories of borrowers— people looking to grow businesses, go to school, switch to clean energy, and more.
Make a loan
Select a borrower who you connect with and help fund a loan with as little as $25.
Get repaid
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Repeat!
Use the repayment to support another borrower, or withdraw your money.
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Funded
A loan of $10,000 helped furnish our indoor tasting room and build our outside patio to increase our ability to serve more customers.
Juan's story
This loan is special because:
More about this loan
Business Description
Ambitious Ales is a microbrewery with a mission to build community by providing unique beer that brings people together and a tasting room that is a hub of community engagement. Our microbrewery has its origins in the hard work and vision of five close friends. We have been operating on a homebrew (non-licensed) level for over six years. We have successfully brewed customized beer for 16 weddings, 30 private and 10 public events (i.e. nonprofit events, company anniversaries). After winning several homebrew awards and gaining proof of concept through successful events, we launched our business venture. Our combined passion and talents developed Ambitious Ales from a concept to a business opportunity.
Ambitious Ales’ primary business is to offer local craft beer. Our microbrewery will produce five core beers and several rotating beers that will be available on a consistent basis in the tasting room and for distribution. We will also produce and serve our own cold-brew coffee and soda.
We have chosen to open our brewery in a 71 year-old building in the beautiful community of Bixby Knolls. The building has an iconic reputation in the community that we plan to build upon. It was important to choose the right location because community is the foundation of our business. Our aim to become a community asset is built on the notion of beer as a social connector, and the historical role of breweries as gathering places in communities. Our tasting room will offer events that promote community building and awareness such as: offering our space for community meetings and workshops, holding ‘community nights’ to encourage interactions, promoting a local business/nonprofit, and offering our space to local artists and entrepreneur’s to engage the community. We don’t just want to operate IN the community; we want to operate WITH the community.
What is the purpose of this loan?
We are currently in the construction phase of our microbrewery with a projected fall 2018 opening. We plan to have a 700 square foot indoor tasting room and a 500 square foot outside patio area. The $10,000 loan would help in the construction and furnishing of these two important spaces for our customers. We will use the loan in the following ways: $4,000 on lumber, $1,000 on electrical and lighting, $5,000 for tables and seating in the patio and tasting room.
The loan would help us buy furniture to create a comfortable and engaging tasting room experience. The construction of the patio area would increase our tasting room space, which would allow us to serve more customers. The increase in customer tasting area would support our overall business revenue. In addition, the outside patio area would allow us to increase our business’ visibility. The patio area would help engage pedestrians walking in the local retail area. We feel the construction and furnishing of these two spaces at our microbrewery would provide us with a great opportunity to be successful when we open our business.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
The disbursed date indicates the date that the borrower receives their loan funds. Loan disbursal for loans on Kiva can happen anywhere from 30 days before to 90 days after the loan is posted on the Kiva website. Direct loans are always post-disbursed, and will be done only after the loan has fully fundraised on Kiva.
In the case of partner loans, many of Kiva's Field Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Field Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by Kiva lenders, the Field Partner has to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva lenders.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Field Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
What is currency exchange loss and how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Covered" means the Field Partner has opted to cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation.
"Possible" means the Field Partner has opted not to cover these losses, and lenders face additional risk because they will bear losses greater than 10%.
"N/A" means the Field Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Field Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Field Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
What is a risk rating?
The Field Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Field Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Field Partner section of every loan. Field Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Field Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Field Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Field Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Field Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Field Partners often work with borrowers over time to help them build credit and expand their businesses. In order to make it easier for partners to post loans for borrowers who have been listed on Kiva before, we allow some partners the ability to relist a loan without having to re-enter all of the borrower's information. When this occurs, you'll see an updated loan description, as well as excerpts of the original descriptions from an earlier loan.
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Field Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
About Ambitious Ales, LLC
Lenders and lending teams
Country: United States
Trustee: Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Why are you endorsing Juan?
The guys from Ambitious Ales are focused, friendly, hard-working and very enthusiastic about opening up their business. The BKBIA is very exciting to have them be part of our business district and now we can begin our "Brewery Knolls" marketing campaign to tie Ambitious Ales into the similar businesses in the district. When you meet Juan and the rest of his partners it's as if you have known them for years. We respect the fact that Juan and team are doing all the construction and build-out themselves. The sweat equity is really going to pay off and we are their biggest cheerleader. We want them to be successful and want to help in any way we can to open doors for them and provide the resources for them to reach their goals.
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Loan tags help lenders find loans that match certain areas of interest.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
The disbursed date indicates the date that the borrower receives their loan funds. Loan disbursal for loans on Kiva can happen anywhere from 30 days before to 90 days after the loan is posted on the Kiva website. Direct loans are always post-disbursed, and will be done only after the loan has fully fundraised on Kiva.
In the case of partner loans, many of Kiva's Field Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Field Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by Kiva lenders, the Field Partner has to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva lenders.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Field Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
What is currency exchange loss and how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Covered" means the Field Partner has opted to cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation.
"Possible" means the Field Partner has opted not to cover these losses, and lenders face additional risk because they will bear losses greater than 10%.
"N/A" means the Field Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Field Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Field Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
What is a risk rating?
The Field Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Field Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Field Partner section of every loan. Field Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Field Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Field Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Field Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Field Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Field Partners often work with borrowers over time to help them build credit and expand their businesses. In order to make it easier for partners to post loans for borrowers who have been listed on Kiva before, we allow some partners the ability to relist a loan without having to re-enter all of the borrower's information. When this occurs, you'll see an updated loan description, as well as excerpts of the original descriptions from an earlier loan.
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Field Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
Trustee: Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Why are you endorsing Juan?
The guys from Ambitious Ales are focused, friendly, hard-working and very enthusiastic about opening up their business. The BKBIA is very exciting to have them be part of our business district and now we can begin our "Brewery Knolls" marketing campaign to tie Ambitious Ales into the similar businesses in the district. When you meet Juan and the rest of his partners it's as if you have known them for years. We respect the fact that Juan and team are doing all the construction and build-out themselves. The sweat equity is really going to pay off and we are their biggest cheerleader. We want them to be successful and want to help in any way we can to open doors for them and provide the resources for them to reach their goals.
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