Take a moment to reflect on the brands you’re most loyal to. What is it about their product or service that keeps you coming back over and over again? Is it their impeccable customer service, the quality standards they hold themselves to, how much they give back every year, or maybe their utter commitment to green practices? No matter the main reason, you’re a customer for life and will go out of your way to support them.

Now imagine a coffee shop opens in your neighborhood with the same ethos. You visit for the first time and realize while enjoying your cup of joe that a portion of your drink will be donated to wildlife conservation. The warm, fuzzy feeling hits you and as you look around, you notice that the bright walls are full of rhino art and paintings. The owners clearly aren’t donating as a marketing ploy. They believe in their mission and by supporting them, you are helping them contribute to conserving rhinos. You decide right then that you’re a customer for life and walk out with a smile on your face.

Can you relate to this story? It is, in fact, true. The Lekker Coffee & Watering Hole opened in my favorite part of Denver, RiNo, which stands for the River North Art District. After I realized Lekker’s purpose for opening their doors, I knew I had to talk with them. A flood of questions popped in my mind: What’s it like opening a mission-based business?  How does my cup of coffee contribute to rhino conservation? Why did they decide to go through the hassle of opening a brick-and-mortar business? 

I’m so happy to share that I had the opportunity to ask these questions and more for this week’s episode. Today, I’m chatting with Kara Finkelstein, co-founder of Lekker. Kara was raised in California on 20 acres with farm animals galore. Growing up, she thought she’d become a veterinarian until she realized how many sick and dying animals she’d have to deal with on a daily basis. She shifted her studies, but never lost her passion for wildlife. At the end of a backpacking trip through Europe, she decided to intern at Care For Wild, the largest rhino orphanage in the world. Her life was forever changed. She came back to the US incredibly inspired, and decided a coffee shop was the way she wanted to give back. She co-founded Lekker with her mother in October 2020 and hasn’t looked back. 

I hope you all are ready to be super inspired and get the push you need to start your big idea. No excuses after you hear this episode.

Alright, everyone. Here is my conversation with Kara.