Shyla
SHYLA SHEPPARD - FOUNDER | PRESIDENT & CEO
After nearly a decade of investing in and supporting other entrepreneur's dreams, Shyla left her position with a social impact investing firm in late 2013 to pursue filling her own niche in the craft beer industry. With a love for craft beer, brewing, entertaining and design, along with the support of her partner, family and friends, she took on the challenge of developing Bow & Arrow from the ground up. As Founder and CEO, Shyla has been responsible for setting the vision for Bow & Arrow and for the nitty gritty details of development and execution of a business plan, financing strategy, securing capital, building a team, contract negotiations, site selection, and design/development of the brewery and two taprooms.
Shyla was born and raised on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota, where she is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation). She earned her Economics degree from Stanford University and professional background includes nearly a decade of investing and business experience as well as corporate and non-profit board directorships. Shyla enjoys bringing a diverse perspective to the craft beer industry.
“Growing up, I have fond memories of my Magoo, my Grandma, working in her garden, making our traditional foods and sharing stories of our people. These experiences ingrained in me an appreciation for the bounty of the land, its connection to a way of life and to our history. In many ways, I see incorporating Indigenous ingredients and sharing our connections to them as a way of reclaiming our agricultural histories and foodways.” - Shyla Sheppard
Missy
Ben
MISSY BEGAY - CO-FOUNDER | CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Inspired by the quintessential wonder of the Southwest, Missy leads branding & marketing and design development. She was born in Albuquerque and raised on the Navajo (Diné) Nation. A granddaughter of Navajo silversmiths & weavers, Missy strives for artistic balance within her medicine profession and is an avid seeker of dirt road photography projects.
Missy enjoys researching desert botanical plants, storytelling and exploring the Southwest in her 60s Land Cruiser. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Stanford University and a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of New Mexico. She serves on the UC Davis Tapping Potential Diversity Scholarship Advisory Council
BEN GISTER - REGIONAL SALES
Ben joined Bow & Arrow in October 2022, starting in the cellar where he gained hands-on experience across brewing, packaging, and production. In May 2025, he transitioned into his current role as Bow & Arrow’s New Mexico & Regional Sales Manager, leveraging his deep understanding of the beer and the business to grow the brand throughout the region.
Originally from Wisconsin, Ben brings over a decade of service-industry experience to his sales approach, having worked behind the bar at neighborhood staples for more than ten years. His passion for craft beer accelerated after moving to Denver in 2015, where exposure to innovative breweries sharpened his palate and sales perspective. Living just blocks from Cerebral Brewing played a pivotal role in his beer education, and he later expanded his industry expertise while working on the sales and delivery team at Fiction Beer Company.
Now based in Albuquerque, Ben focuses on building strong partnerships with retailers, bars, and distributors, championing Bow & Arrow beers in the market every day. When he’s not on the road or connecting with accounts, Ben enjoys playing pickleball, spending time in the mountains with his wife Molly and their two pups, Bertie and Fanny, and supporting Albuquerque’s vibrant beer community.
Don
DON JAMES - PHOTOGRAPHER
A proud Navajo born in Gallup, New Mexico, and raised in Prewitt, New Mexico, Don James is a lover of beer and photography. He earned a bachelor of fine arts in photography from The University of New Mexico and has done freelance work for several well-known companies, such as Nike and The James Beard Foundation. He is the author of the award-winning photo book One Nation, One Year and has been director of photography at Albuquerque The Magazine for more than 15 years. If he's not documenting life in the Burque with his Nikon or checking out a new brewery, he enjoys volunteering in the community, cutting down big trees for fire wood, playing the blues on his piano, hunting with his longbow on the Rez, reading, hanging out with his grandma, and cruisin' his flatbed diesel.
To contact team members please email info@bowandarrowbrewing.com