Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Visiting Friends in Ann Arbor

While in Ann Arbor for the Ross Net Impact Conference at the University of Michigan, I visited a few Coffee Kids friends.

The Zingerman’s Community of Businesses is a family of small food related companies in the Ann Arbor area. Each business is operated by one or more managing partners who share ownership and run the business. I met with Allan Liebowitz and Steve Mangigian, managing partners of Zingerman’s Coffee – great guys who showed enthusiasm and interest in helping Coffee Kids.

Stephan Iscoe of Big City Coffee recently signed on as a Coffee Kids business member with his online coffee company. He was gracious and generous with his marketing ideas, interested in Coffee Kids’ efforts and concerned about life in coffee-farming communities. Thanks much, Stephan!

My next stop was at Mighty Good Coffee in downtown Ann Arbor, where I met with David Myers and Barista Matt Roney, sampled a fine Kenyan Peaberry, and discussed our work. David created Mighty Good Coffee Roasters three years ago recently expanded to a retail operation. They ‘twittered’ their followers to stop in the following morning for a fundraiser for Coffee Kids.

Thanks to all for the support and meeting up!