Klamath IDEA Talks are back! Our new season kicks off at the Rural Business Expo with some of Klamath’s most revered entrepreneurs!

Over a half century ago, local entrepreneurs Don & Nancy Kucera started the ND Dairy south of Klamath Falls, peaking at 135 head of milking cattle. Among other products, ND Dairy’s Grade A Raw Milk was distributed to outlying areas including Medford, Bend, and Lakeview.

In 1987 the Kuceras began a small pizza business in the Keno area. They moved that small pizza business to Klamath Falls in early 1988. As regulation of the dairy industry became burdensome, the Kuceras focused on the pizzeria and closed down their diary. That’s when their son Rod, who had begun investigating the micro-brew business in 1995, got the wild idea to convert the former dairy into a brewery, repurposing the dairy equipment and hardware to produce a dramatically different type of beverage.

With several varieties of beer beginning to flow, it was only natural to pair it with the pizza the family was beginning to perfect. And so was the creation of Mia & Pia’s Pizzeria & Brewhouse in 1996.

With his partner (in business and in life) Jodi, the next generation of entrepreneurs in the Kucera family began executing plans to expand even further with the introduction of tasty new brews and expanded food offerings. They have continued to innovate in a crowded market with reinforced branding as a family-friendly establishment (in fact, their entrepreneurial-minded kids Clint and Kelsey can often be found working at the parlor as well), the addition of people-connecting events such as live music and trivia, a growing catering schedule, and a rustic outdoor event venue right outside their brewery. In addition, with its solar system and continuous cadre of farm-raised cows and pigs that consume brewing by products, the brewery is celebrated by locals in agriculture as an example of sustainable production. Rod & Jodi have been steadily committed to their community as political advocates in the hospitality and agriculture industries, and both have served in leadership positions in local economic and community development groups. We are pleased to kick off the 2024/2025 IDEA Talks Season and cap off the 2024 Rural Business Expo with these Klamath-rooted entrepreneurs!

Food and one non-alcoholic drink ticket is included in the $20 per person admission. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for networking and the IDEA Talk will start at 6:15 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Klamath IDEA is a community initiative committed to developing a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Klamath County to strengthen existing small businesses and innovators and inspire and support the emergence of new ones. In that effort, entrepreneurial-minded informative talks modeled after TED Talks are held – known as IDEA Talks – to benefit business owners and entrepreneurs.

The 2024 IDEA Talks season is generously supported by the Klamath Community College Small Business Development Center and Pacific Crest Federal Credit Union. We are also grateful for support from the City of Klamath Falls, Klamath County, the Ford Family Foundation’s Growing Rural Oregon program, and through Oregon State Lottery Funds administered by Business Oregon.