Alisa Bowen-Mercado is no stranger to being the first to pave the way for others. As one of the leaders of her family-owned construction company, Alisa was one of the few women in the field in a position of power. Then, when she decided to take a leap of faith and pursue passion by opening up her own salsa studio, she had to pave her own way--construction was what she knew, but salsa was what she loved. So, pursuing passion over paycheck, Alisa found a way to both support herself and bring the joy of salsa to New Haven Connecticut. As if that wasn't enough, Alisa most recently decided that her love for beer deserved a business of its own. So, in 2018 Alisa founded Rhythm Brewing Co., the only black-owned beer brewery in the state of Connecticut.