How to open a coffee shop? Collaboration.

Jerome Lingo arriving at Academia Cotopaxi was one of the best things that happened in my career. A partnership immediately formed and within weeks we decided we wanted a place for our students to learn life skills, make friends, and interact with our community. The idea of a coffee shop was born and we basically took it day by day. COLLABORATION made it happen. The cafeteria staff opened up space for us. Our school provided us with the materials we needed at cost. The graphic design class designed our posters. The music department provided entertainment. Staff donated baked goods for us to sell. And the list goes on.

Today we opened and had so many customers we could hardly keep up. Meaning our biggest collaborators was the faculty who put in orders for delivery or showed up for a cup of coffee or baked goods. The smile on our student’s faces was the biggest reward. We learned a lot about money math without a real cash register, and instead a phone calculator. We learned about asking for help when we need it. We learned that making mistakes is okay. We learned that when selling baked goods and coffee we should do our best not to sneeze on them. We learned about patience and how far a “thank you” can go. So many skills in just 60 minutes. And we haven’t told them yet that they’re in charge.