Born in Cincinnati and raised in Buffalo, Baltimore, and Seattle, I have had many experiences throughout North America. None were as remarkable as a small community in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. Franco Bidó’s beauty was immediately breathtaking, and the poverty was equally overwhelming. My entrepreneurial spirit started at a young age, when I wanted to invent environmentally friendly machines that would reduce our environmental footprint. At 15, when I was working in the community of Franco Bidó, I was trying to determine how I could effectively create concrete change in this community. I continued to travel annually to this community because I loved the people, and the natural beauty was incredible. At Xavier University, I declared a major called Land, Farming, and the Community because I knew that my work calling was also my life’s calling: to use my love for nature and the environment to affect change.
I spent 18 months taking many trips to the Dominican Republic and preparing for the launch of the business. In January 2016, I imported the first shipment of coffee, which was an incredible undertaking. I certainly have found my passion and my life’s work. My business reflects my philosophy toward creating a more just world. I believe that climate change will be won or lost in the countryside of the tropics where the forest and its ecology are incredibly important to moderating our planet’s temperature. Already, effects are being seen, and coffee farming can be done in a way that restores forest, protects the land, and advances people’s lives. Our success can change not only the farmers’ lives; it can change the coffee industry, which sources from virtually every country in the tropics. Through responsible and compassionate consumers, we can change the world together.