• Wasn't quite ready to leave home after high school and attended community college before switching to finish the last three years at UC Berkeley in California. After obtaining a Bachelors in Marketing with a minor in Design she returned home and started working at Firebyrd in the sales department, moving up to Director of Marketing & Events in February '14. Unlike most she looks forward to going to work every day, willing to put in all the time needed to make each new brew or event a success. She's passionate about her family's business and couldn't see herself working anywhere else.

• Has had a severe peanut allergy since childhood; she always carries an EpiPen in her purse and is cautious at restaurants and when purchasing items from the grocery store. Several of her closest friends and family keep one handy after an accident on Halloween when she was younger. Was diagnosed with stress induced asthma a little over three years ago, which she's still trying to get a handle on, and medicates with an inhaler daily.

• Growing up in a family of seven with friends always hanging around the house meant Mirela was pretty frugal, but after seeing an episode of Extreme Couponers four years ago she became obsessed with slashing her monthly budget and spending the least amount possible for groceries and other household necessities. Over the years she's grown a decent-sized stockpile in the basement for herself and her roommates that contains everything from paper products, to food, and even things like laundry detergent and toothpaste. She frequently asks friends and family for their coupon inserts and forces her roommates (or whoever is around) to help out. Lately she's gone as far as collecting free diapers and trading them for other items on Facebook or MeetUp like pokemon cards.

• Her mother (Mirela, 52) and father (John, 54) met in Utah while he was driving through heading back to college. Miry was supposed to marry a boy from her Roma community in just months, but eloped with John instead. After graduation they settled back in Denver where John's family lived and started one of their own. Over thirty years and five kids later they're still in love despite a brief period of infidelity and crisis' with their business.

• In November of 1994 John left the corporate world behind and started Firebyrd Brewing Company (cr. Great Divide Brewing Co) in Denver's Ballpark Neighborhood after years of homebrewing. Things started small with John and his wife as the only employees, but has grown to over 50 employees with a second site breaking ground in Spring '14. Countless awards later the Firebyrd family continues to grow. The taproom is open varied hours throughout the week where anyone can come and tour the brewery and try one of 16 beers on tap.

• Second youngest of five siblings: Marko (31), Stefan (29), Alisa (26), and Nadya (22).

• Following in her husband's entrepreneurial footsteps, Mirela started making "Holy Mother of Miry" hot sauce for friends and family in 2011. She has six signature sauces currently that are sold online and at a few vendors in the area. The business is growing slowly, but steadily, and she hopes to market the hot sauce into other areas in the future.

Soon.