We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Skyler Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Skyler, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Finding those key vendors can often be make or break for a brand. Can you talk to us about how you found your key vendors?

When choosing to partner with small family-owned farms over larger farms, several key points highlight the advantages of this approach for our buisness.

1. **Quality Control**: Small family-owned farms often maintain a more hands-on approach to their coffee production. This intimate involvement allows them to monitor every step of the process, from planting to harvesting, ensuring that each bean meets their high standards. The smaller scale enables them to focus on quality over quantity, often leading to superior flavor profiles and more consistent quality in their coffee.

2. **Attention to Detail**: Family farms take pride in their craft and typically have generations of experience in coffee cultivation. This deep-rooted knowledge helps them implement techniques that enhance the quality of their coffee. Their commitment to excellence often results in meticulously processed beans that are rich in flavor and aroma.

3. **Sustainable Practices**: By empowering small farms, we support sustainable organic farming methods that are often used in these operations. Family farms tend to prioritize environmental stewardship, using organic practices that promote healthy soil and biodiversity. This not only enhances the quality of the coffee but also protects the ecosystem in which they operate.

4. **Community Impact**: Partnering with small family-owned farms allows us to invest directly in local communities. By providing these farmers with fair compensation and resources, we empower them to maintain their farms and promote sustainable practices. This support helps them to continue their organic farming efforts, which are crucial for both quality coffee production and the health of the land.

5. **Traceability**: Sourcing from small farms allows for greater transparency in the supply chain. Customers can trace their coffee back to the specific farms where it was produced, fostering a deeper connection between consumers and coffee growers. This transparency strengthens the relationship and ensures that ethical practices are upheld.

In summary, partnering with small family-owned farms not only guarantees quality coffee but also supports sustainable and responsible farming practices that benefit both the environment and the local communities. This partnership ultimately leads to a richer coffee experience for consumers, who can enjoy their brews while knowing they are making a positive impact.

Skyler, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

While attending the Mayo Clinic Medical School we were learning about different toxins and mold that grow on coffee and how it can affect the body.

This information sent me on the path to want to learn more.

Rising for People Coffee began as an online business in 2022, expanded to local farmers’ markets, and gained community support through partnerships with Haven on Earth Bakery and involvement in local events like Reno’s Black Business Proclamation Day and Reno Food & Drink Week. Despite the setback caused by the May 2024 crash, the company is undeterred and is set to open its new café at 121 Vesta Street in Midtown, a vibrant area poised for development.
Since inception, Rising for People Coffee has focused on sustainability and supporting small, family-owned coffee farms. The company partners with farms that use natural, chemical-free farming methods and prioritizes fair trade practices. They are committed to ensuring farmers are paid living wages and supporting women-owned farms to foster gender equality in the coffee industry.
In addition to a diverse range of specialty, vertically sourced coffees, the new Midtown café will feature Reno’s first Roast on Demand Service, offering freshly roasted beans using an energy-efficient, gas-free electric roaster that aligns with the company’s goal of reducing its carbon footprint.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Rising For People Coffee had a challenging setback in May 2024 when a car came crashing into our coffee shop. This put us out of buisness for multiple weeks.

We refused to let go our amazing staff while we were forced to wait it out. We started doing multiple farmers markets a week around the city. While raising money. We listed our products in Walmart, Target and local businesses to ensure we maintained a presence.

We never stopped trying to show up. We are still in buisness to date and we plan to open in midtown. Bringing sustainable innovation into the city. Roasting with an electric roaster, and hosting the first ever roast on demand service. Patrons can come in and say they want up to 6lbs of Costa Rica Coffee and have it freshly roasted in Under 30mins.

We have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help with the move. When consumers contribute they receive store credit that they can use on our gobal coffee online marketplace. Text 53-555 Risepeople to learn more

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I’m met Jesse Abshire CFO and Co-Owner in 2023 at the cafe. He came in from a local Yelp AD. He said he wanted to support a black woman owned coffee shop. I told him our story and he later joined our mission as a board member.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://risingforpeoplecoffeeco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risingforpeoplecoffeeco/profilecard/?igsh=MXd3M3g5bmRiY2Y1OQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/risingforpeoplecoffeeco
• Linkedin: https://www.LinkedIn.com/skylerjones
• Youtube: https://www.YouTube.com/risingforpeoplecoffeeco
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/risingforpeoplecoffeeco

Image Credits

Holly Shankfield