From Friendship to Full-Time: How Inclusion and Intention Built a Real Business
When I was in third grade, I was invited into a “Recess Club”. That simple invitation changed my life. It introduced me to a world where inclusion wasn’t a policy—it was a way of being. Different wasn’t scary. Different was interesting. It was a conversation starter. And once the conversation started, we realized how much we had in common.
”If you want to be in this recess club, you have to be friends with everyone.”
Inclusion Starts Young—and It Starts with Us
Children are naturally inclusive. I call it innate inclusion. They don’t see barriers until they’re taught to. They don’t see limitations until they’re told they exist. I grew up surrounded by amazing people doing amazing things, and I saw what people are capable of when they believe in themselves—and when others believe in them too.
But after high school, I noticed something shift. The future for my friends with disabilities looked very different. One friend, Emma, got a job where she was limited in what they let her do. It wasn’t because she lacked talent or drive. It was because the world wasn’t built to include her.
”All they let me do is clean bathrooms.”
That was my moment of obligation. I realized: if something is broken, we have a responsibility to fix it. And sometimes, you can’t wait for the world to pick you. You have to pick yourself.
What’s Your Moment?
Think about your life, your company, your community. What’s something you want to see made better? What’s a change you feel obligated to make? Say it out loud. Write it down. Decide to do something.
That’s how 321 Coffee started. We didn’t have a business plan—we had a folding table and a big vision. We took small steps. And those small steps started making a big impact.
Choosing a New Path
I was originally planning to go into medicine. But the more I worked on 321, the more I felt pulled in a different direction. I met with a mentor, Lewis Sheats, who told me something I’ll never forget:
“If you want to, I really think you could do this. And I’ll help.”
That conversation changed my life. I dropped all my classes and rebuilt my schedule in the business school. It was terrifying. I wasn’t confident. I was scared of failing. But I realized I’d rather try and fail than regret not trying.
So I ask you: What in your life is worth failing for?
Building a Business Rooted in DEI
321 Coffee has grown from a folding table to multiple retail locations, a roasting facility, and a team of over 50 people—all working toward disability inclusion. We’ve been featured on the TODAY Show (twice!), partnered with companies across the country, and even was featured in a commercial with Queen Latifah.
But the most meaningful moments aren’t always the flashy ones. They’re the quiet ones—like watching a barista take their first flight, or seeing a customer connect with someone they might never have spoken to otherwise.
Inclusion Is in the Everyday
DEI isn’t a one-time donation or a headline. It’s in the everyday decisions. Like choosing compostable cups at our first events, even when it cost more. Like hiring people with disabilities not because we have to, but because we want to.
It’s like living a healthy lifestyle—you don’t get there by eating one salad. You get there through consistent, intentional choices.
So ask yourself:
What decisions do you control?
How can you make them with intention?
Who can you include, empower, or uplift today?
Representation Matters
I’ve learned so much from working alongside people like Cameron, Grace, and Emma. They’ve challenged me, inspired me, and made me better.
I’ve also learned the power of representation—how seeing someone like you doing something big can make you believe you can do it too. That’s why we have a 700+ person waitlist to work at 321 Coffee. It’s not that people don’t want to work. It’s that they haven’t always been given the chance.
Start with One
You don’t have to solve everything today. But you can take one step. You can ask one question. You can make one decision with intention.
Because change starts with one. And it can start with you.
