We recently connected with Cynthia Moreno Romero and have shared our conversation below.

Cynthia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The story of Ollin Cafetzin began in 2020 when a group of educators, organizers, and visionaries came together with a shared social dream: to create a contemporary space where people of color could gather, feel seen, and engage in critical conversations about identity, justice, and culture. Out of this collective vision, Ollin Cafetzin was born—a modern Indigenous Cafe and Ethnic Studies Library rooted in the values of cafetzin, conexión, and educación based in Aurora, Colorado.

Our mission is deeply personal and political. It reflects our response to generational disconnection, cultural erasure, and systemic inequities. We offer more than just coffee—we offer a place of cultural affirmation. Our menu is inspired by Mesoamerican traditions and social movements, while our library of over 900 ethnic studies books provides a gateway for community learning and transformation. Every drink and book pairing becomes a chance to reflect, to remember, and to resist.

Founded and operated by a team of social workers, teachers, and youth organizers, Ollin Cafetzin is more than a business—it’s a living space for activism, healing, and representation. It’s where vecinos can gather over sustainably sourced coffee from Indigenous collectives in Latin America and feel themselves reflected in every detail. It’s where young people and adults can read banned books, where stories are honored, and where the seeds of revolution are quietly and powerfully planted.

This mission is meaningful to us because it comes from our lived experiences, and we believe it’s our social responsibility to share precious knowledge and revitalize our connections to this land.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Ollin Cafetzin is a community-rooted, indigenous-based coffee shop and ethnic studies library located in Aurora, Colorado. For those who may not have heard of us before, we are more than a cafe—we are a cultural space dedicated to reclaiming comunidad through cafetzin (coffee), conexión (connection), and educación (education). Our name comes from Nahuatl, the language of our ancestors, and translates to “Movement Coffee,” which speaks to our purpose of serving not just beverages, but movement-building.

The story of Ollin Cafetzin began in 2020 when a group of educators, social workers, and youth organizers came together with a shared dream—to create a space where people of color could gather, feel seen, and engage in critical conversations about history, identity, resistance, and healing. We were inspired by the everyday places where we used to hold pláticas—honest, heart-to-heart conversations—and sought to build a third space where those moments could be held publicly, over a cup of coffee that’s as intentional as it is delicious.

At the heart of this vision is Cynthia Moreno, a quiet leader and visionary who blends ancestral wisdom with bold, transformative action. Cynthia holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Denver’s School of Social Work and currently directs the Community Worker Care Program, where she centers wellness and trauma-informed practices for community-based organizations. Raised in Yakima, WA, by Nahuatl-speaking parents with roots in Coatepec Costales, Guerrero, México, Cynthia grew up immersed in the idea that food is medicine and traditions are revolutionary. Her leadership combats Gringo standards and revives ancestral teachings by reimagining them through the lens of her Chicana identity.

Through Ollin Cafetzin, Cynthia brings her full self—her roots, her community organizing experience, and her heart—into every detail of the business. The drinks we serve are crafted with homemade syrups and Indigenous ingredients. Our library features over 900 books gifted from customers, college professors, and family. Our menu honors Mesoamerican traditions and is designed to teach as much as it nourishes. Our literacy program, Books Not Bullets, allows youth and community members to earn drinks by reading texts that challenge dominant narratives and empower marginalized voices.
We solve the problem of invisibility and erasure. For too long, our communities have lacked access to culturally affirming spaces that speak to who we are and what we value. At Ollin Cafetzin, we are changing that. We serve as a creative and communal hub for culture, learning, and movement-building. We cater, host events, run a membership-based lending library, and collaborate with over 50 local schools and nonprofits.

What we’re most proud of is the way our community has carried us forward. From our early crowdfunding campaigns and pop-up events to the 74 local investors who helped us secure our brick-and-mortar location, our journey has always been collective. We’ve been recognized with awards like Mi Casa Resource Center’s “Best Business Plan” and have built direct relationships with Indigenous coffee cooperatives in Chiapas, Mexico.

To those just discovering us: Ollin Cafetzin is a cafe and library where you can imagine an alternative world. It’s a space to be nourished—culturally, intellectually, spiritually. It’s where neighbors become vecinos, stories become resistance, and every cup holds a movement. Whether you’re craving a culturally rooted drink or a place to learn and build community, we welcome you to be part of our story.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing our clientele has been community-centered visibility—meeting people where they are, building relationships rooted in shared values, and showing up consistently in meaningful spaces. Since our inception, we’ve leaned heavily into pop-up events, vendor markets, school partnerships, and grassroots organizing—not just as marketing tactics, but as relationship-building tools.

In just one summer, we participated in over 90 community events across the Denver metro area—in Aurora to Boulder —where we not only sold coffee but connected with people on a personal and cultural level. These events allowed us to introduce our products and mission to diverse audiences, many of whom became returning customers and long-term supporters.

Our co-founding team—comprised of local educators —has also played a vital role in growing our network. As trusted community members, they’ve used their social capital to tap into universities, high schools, non-profits, museums, and local markets like Rebel Marketplace in Aurora. These connections have opened doors for us to collaborate on events, build our audience, and center Ollin Cafetzin as a gathering place for learning and conversing over a cup of cafetzin.

We continue to intentionally build partnerships with nonprofits and community groups, and now that we have a physical space, we regularly host events that bring people together for workshops, book readings, youth programming, and more. These partnerships not only extend our reach—they deepen our roots in the neighborhoods we serve.

Another key strategy has been storytelling. We don’t just serve coffee—we serve culture, history, and resistance. Through social media, newsletters, and pláticas, we invite people into our journey. With nearly 2,000 Instagram followers and a growing email list, we keep our community informed, engaged, and inspired.

At the core, our growth has come from being authentic, present, and rooted in comunidad. We’re not just growing a business—we’re growing a movement.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Funding Ollin Cafetzin has been a journey of creativity and deep community trust. As a grassroots business rooted in collective care, we knew from the beginning that traditional funding routes weren’t going to be our only path. Instead, we leaned into what we know best—community organizing and relationship-building.

Our first major push came through crowdfunding. We launched our initial fundraiser on Indiegogo, where we raised over $3,000 from 60 backers—friends, family, and supporters who believed in our vision. On top of that, we received an additional $2,000 in personal donations from relatives, showing us early on that our community was willing to invest in something they felt part of.

The founding team also self-financed key parts of our early operation, contributing over $13,000 collectively to get us off the ground. We scouted for secondhand equipment, sourced some of our tools from a closed café in Los Angeles, and got creative with our budgeting to stretch every dollar.

In 2023, we launched an investment campaign with Honeycomb Credit and were blown away by the response—74 local investors contributed $35,500 to help us secure and begin the buildout of our brick-and-mortar space. This not only provided the capital we needed but also reinforced that our community wasn’t just showing up for coffee—they were showing up for the movement behind it.

Every dollar we’ve raised has come with a story, a relationship, and a commitment. Our approach to funding hasn’t been conventional—but it’s been deeply rooted in values of reciprocity, transparency, and mutual care. That’s the foundation Ollin Cafetzin was built on, and that’s how we plan to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ollincafetzin.squarespace.com/config/?frameUrl=%2F
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ollin.cafetzin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ollin.cafetzin