CEO class visited Storm Brewing in Flora, where we heard from two of the co-owners, Mike and Airane Souder, about their journey in building a business from the ground up.

Storm Brewing, which opened in September 2024, is owned by a group of eight individuals who each play a unique role in the business. From renovating the space themselves to carefully developing their business plan, the team has taken a thoughtful, steady approach to growth. In addition to offering their own craft beer, they also serve wood-fired pizza and prioritize creating a positive work environment by investing in their employees.

Students gained valuable insight into what it takes to start and sustain a business, especially one built on collaboration, patience, and smart decision-making.

Mike also spoke to us about his scale business, Scale Sounder Service. This unique niche plays an important role by helping businesses keep their equipment accurate and reliable, which is something many operations depend on every day.

We also had a fun, hands-on experience thanks to Parker and Carder, who both work at Storm making pizzas. They helped guide the class as we learned how to make our own pizzas, adding another memorable element to the visit.

Thank you to Mike, Arianne, and the Storm Brewing team for sharing your story and giving our students a firsthand look at entrepreneurship in action!