Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

From the Beginning

Before starting New Belgium, our co-founder, Kim Jordan, was a social worker. She saw the inequities in our communities as well as across the country and made a committed effort to address them in our company.

From simple efforts, like offering health benefits to domestic partners in the 1990s, to more complex business maneuvers, like opening the financial statements to co-workers and gifting them shares in the company, Kim wrote her own playbook on leadership. Over the years, New Belgium has developed these practices into a comprehensive business model we call Human-Powered Business, based on the recognition that our coworkers drive the company forward, and, in return, the company invests deeply in coworker and community wellbeing. This model fosters a unique culture defined by individual empowerment and collective action that drives better long-term business results.

As the craft beer movement grew in the 1990s and 2000s, Kim was the only woman among dozens of men pioneering a new way of brewing. The face of craft beer is changing rapidly, and New Belgium is dedicated to transforming the culture of craft beer with dedicated and intentional work to build a more diverse, equitable and truly inclusive business and industry – for the benefit of the coworkers, customers, and the communities that support our success.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

New Belgium strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law. 

Internally, New Belgium has prioritized fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging for all since day one. This commitment is core to our ambitions and long-term success. We continually assess and evolve our initiatives to improve our impact across our three key focus areas:

Creating Inviting Spaces

We strive for every space our product is served to be inviting to all, including those who are underrepresented in the craft beer industry. To support this, we offer our “Poured for All” digital training for free to bars and restaurants nationwide to help solidify their commitment to inclusivity in collaboration with DEIB training provider HospitableMe.

Increasing Coworker Sense of Belonging

A workplace that’s truly designed for everyone brings out the best in our coworkers – encouraging them to bring their full skill sets and passions to delivering the world-class beer our customers expect. An expanded DEIB training portfolio provides coworkers the opportunity to earn recognition badges in our learning platform and supports our commitment to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge. In 2024, we achieved a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, earning the coveted Equality 100 Award, as we have each year since joining in 2021.

Broadening Our Applicant Pools

Our recruiting department works to ensure our job opportunities are seen by, and open to, all qualified people, including those traditionally underrepresented in our industry. In 2024, we launched a community partner portal to create career pipelines for local professionals, and we recently launched training for all hiring managers on mitigating implicit biases that can arise during the hiring process. All recruitment processes are reviewed by our legal team and are in compliance with all laws.

Coworkers Leading the Way

According to our annual coworker engagement survey, 70% of New Belgium employees believe Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives should be a priority in the workplace.

Our DEIB Impact Team, in compliance with all laws, fosters inclusion and belonging across the organization, to help all coworkers be seen, respected, and valued. The Team is comprised of coworkers across departments and sites, with a team lead and executive sponsors, and focuses on championing belonging in three specific ways:

• Attend and inform internal and external trainings, including offerings from an expert third-party consultant.

• Offer site leadership in organizing and supporting Recognition Days and Months events.

• Amplify coworker voices in DEIB communications to cultivate a welcoming culture for all coworkers.