Keith Villa

As the 1995 inventor of Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Belgian White beer, Keith Villa (MCDBio’86) helped ignite the popularity of the craft beer industry. He had begun brewing his own beer as a hobby during his time at CU Boulder when he spotted a flyer in the molecular biology building for a research position at the Coors Brewing Company. After starting the position, Keith went on to spend nearly 32 years at the company. Now he is working to transform the beer industry again. He and his wife Jodi Villa (ArchEngr’86) own the Arvada-based Ceria Brewing Company, which specializes in alcohol-free craft beers. Keith also hopes to create a successful business selling non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused beer.