Three Questions with Rod Johnson of BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages
Briefly

BLK & Bold, founded in 2018 in Des Moines, Iowa, is dedicated to community building through its coffee products. The company donates five percent of its revenue to nonprofit organizations focused on empowering youth and addressing issues like food security and literacy. BLK & Bold initially launched from a garage and has expanded to become one of the largest independently owned coffee brands in the U.S., now available at major retailers including Target, Walmart, and Costco, generating significant contributions for its community partners.
"Our coffee fuels community in so many different instances," Johnson recently told DCN. "In my neighborhood, there weren't many coffee shops. People would meet up at the local McDonald's and have their coffee in the mornings - guys who were retired trading stories over a cup of coffee. Even my personal experience - watching my grandparents read a newspaper over coffee - camaraderie was built during those instances."
"We were intentional about building our business the way we did because as our company grows, so does the impact that we have on our community partners," said Johnson.
"We are a bootstrap business started by two guys who identify with the beneficiaries of the work we are doing," Johnson said. "We've been able to generate over $450,000 to those respective organizations. $450,000 is a lot of money and real work can be done with that support."
Read at Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine
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