We recently connected with Michael Patella and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea for Corporate Menace Coffee Co. really started from our own lives. All the founding partners are part of corporate America. I work in corporate consulting. My friend from college, and founding partner Nathan Wilson, is a Marketing and Events Strategist, and our third founding partner Matthew Patella (my dad) is a longtime corporate executive. When Nathan and I first entered the workforce after college, we were thrown into the 9 to 5 grind that so many people know well. Coffee was always part of that picture: early mornings, long nights, endless meetings. What we noticed was that most coffee brands were either hyper focused on slow romanticized lifestyles or were just generic office sludge. Neither really spoke to people like us, who are ambitious, competitive, a little sarcastic, and still figuring things out in corporate life.

That is when the idea clicked. Why not build a brand that actually reflects that experience, not the escape from the grind but the grind itself. We wanted to create something that was unapologetically for the inbox warriors, the boardroom renegades, and the people who actually enjoy chasing goals. Our coffee is specialty grade, roasted to order, and shipped free anywhere in the United States, but it is more than the product. It is about the community we are building around it. For recent graduates we wanted something relatable, a brand that makes them feel seen as they navigate their first job or corporate role. For veterans of the grind it is a chance to relive the glory years when late nights, big wins, and bold ambition felt fresh and exciting.

What made us confident this would work was seeing that no one else was speaking directly to that mindset. There are plenty of good coffee companies, but none that lean into the ambition, humor, and edge that come with being young, driven, and maybe a little bit rebellious in a professional world. Corporate Menace gives people coffee that tastes incredible while also giving them a brand identity to rally around. It is a reminder that it is possible to take your goals seriously without taking yourself too seriously.

At the end of the day, we are not just selling coffee. We are building a culture for the high performers who want their coffee to work as hard as they do and for anyone who remembers the stage of life when ambition was the only thing stronger than caffeine. That is what gets us excited. This is not just about filling mugs. It is about fueling a community.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Michael Patella and I am the co-founder of Corporate Menace Coffee Co. I graduated from college in 2023 and, like so many others, went straight into Corporate America where I still work today as a consultant. Living that lifestyle day in and day out gave me the perspective and motivation to start a coffee company that actually reflects the lives of people in the grind. Coffee has always been part of my routine, but I wanted more than just caffeine — I wanted a brand that felt relatable, ambitious, and unapologetic about working hard. That is the foundation of Corporate Menace.

Our coffee is specialty grade, roasted to order, and ships free anywhere in the United States. We make it accessible in 12 ounce bags up to 5 pound bags, and we offer it in whole bean, grinds, and in pod packs for certain blends. Quality is non-negotiable for us, but so is relevance. Every blend we create is tied to the corporate world and designed to resonate with the people who live it.

Some of our core blends include Hostile Takeover, an extra caffeinated breakfast blend built for mornings when you need more than one shot at winning the day. Quiet Quitting is our Swiss Water Process decaf for those late nights when you still want the taste without the buzz. Liquid Courage is a whiskey barrel aged bean that gives you bold flavor with the edge of a boardroom deal. We also roll out limited edition quarterly blends that keep things fresh and seasonal. Over the summer we introduced Out Of Office, a bright and fruity roast, and this fall we are launching Graveyard Shift, our pumpkin spice blend with a Menace twist.

What sets us apart is that we are not trying to sell a fantasy of escape. We are here for the people who show up every day, who work hard, chase success, and want their coffee to match that energy. At the end of the day, I am proud that Corporate Menace is both a high quality coffee company and a brand that builds a sense of community for ambitious people like me. This is not just coffee in a bag. It is a statement about how you show up to the world.

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

I met Nathan Wilson in college at Florida Gulf Coast University. He was part of Eagle Media, the student-run media conglomerate on campus, and we worked together there for two years before he graduated. During that time we handled marketing and sales for advertising and also ran the annual music festival, which brought in professional sound, lighting, and local bands. That experience gave us our first taste of working together in a professional way, managing budgets, coordinating vendors, and pulling off big events. We were also in the same fraternity, where we spent a lot of time planning formals and other events together. Through all of that, we realized early on that we worked really well together. After graduation we tried a few times to create businesses of our own, but nothing felt quite right until we launched Corporate Menace.

As for Matthew Patella, I met him the day I was born since he is my father. I have always looked up to him as a role model and an example of what hard work looks like. He spent years as a corporate executive, and I grew up watching him balance long hours, tough decisions, and high expectations while still making time for our family. That work ethic and perspective shaped the way I approach my own career and ambitions. When it came time to build Corporate Menace, his experience and leadership were the perfect complement to the drive that Nathan and I brought. He not only brings credibility and insight from decades in the corporate world but also sets the standard for what it means to commit fully to the grind. Having him as part of this venture makes the brand even more meaningful to me.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What has helped build our reputation in the market is that from day one we made a conscious choice to be authentic. We did not try to pretend to be something we are not. I am a recent graduate who went straight into Corporate America, Nathan has built his career in marketing and events, and Matthew has decades of experience as a corporate executive. We know the corporate grind because we live it. That honesty comes through in how we talk about our brand, how we name our blends, and how we interact with customers. People can tell when a company is real versus when it is just trying to ride a trend, and we have always leaned into being real.

Relatability has also been a huge part of our growth. The coffee industry is crowded, but there are very few brands that actually speak to young professionals in a way that feels fresh and true to their daily lives. When someone picks up a bag of Hostile Takeover or laughs at the irony of Quiet Quitting being decaf, they see themselves in the brand. That sense of “this coffee gets me” has allowed us to connect with customers on more than just a product level.

We have also put a lot of effort into community outreach and involvement. Whether it is sampling coffee at local events, partnering with other small businesses, or showing up at festivals, we make it a point to be out in the community, not just behind a website. Coffee is social by nature, and we want our brand to reflect that. By engaging with people face to face, sharing our story, and supporting the local community, we have built a foundation of trust and loyalty.

Ultimately, our reputation comes from blending quality with culture. We deliver specialty-grade coffee roasted to order and shipped free anywhere in the United States, but just as importantly, we give people a brand that speaks to who they are. That combination of authenticity, relatability, and community has made Corporate Menace more than a coffee company. It has made us a part of the conversation for ambitious people who want their morning cup to say something about them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.corporatemenace.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_corporatemenace_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Corporate-Menace-Coffee-Co/61574440404409/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/corporate-menace-coffee-co/
• Twitter: https://x.com/corpmenace

Image Credits

Ashley Sandra