Kris Spaulding, U-M alum and Holland native, always felt close to nature. Her family often took trips to the beach, and she spent hours playing in the forest that was her backyard. Her affinity for nature only grew stronger as she grew older.
With the environmental focus she honed at the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the business model she learned in the corporate world, Spaulding and her husband, Jason, “an experienced brewery owner,” decided to combine their passions. The pair created Brewery Vivant, in Grand Rapids, around a business model committed to sustainability.
Brewery Vivant is housed in a refurbished historic funeral home, and is celebrated as the first Silver LEED-certificated commercial microbrewery in the world. The brewery is powered by renewable energy and is a bicycle-friendly business.
