Prominent Tampa beer entrepreneur donates $2M to USF for two causes

The timeless pairing of sports and beer just got a monetary boost from a Tampa entrepreneur who is a big brain behind craft brews. Joey Redner, founder of Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, and his wife, Jennifer, gifted the University of South Florida $2 million with the caveat that half goes to the new stadium and half goes to the brewing arts program based out of the St.Pete campus. 

“It really boils down to my gratitude for the life I have been able to build in my hometown,” Joey Redner says in a statement. “USF's goals align with mine — to have a positive impact on the Tampa Bay area.”

Photo by Mark Wemple