In an industry dominated by men, it’s wonderful to see more and more women nationwide cementing their place within the world of coffee. You may notice a theme within this list—many of these women-owned roasters are also fully-dedicated to lifting up people throughout the coffee supply chain, making the industry all the better for it.
RAKO Coffee Roasters (Lorton, Va.)
Owned by sisters Lisa and Melissa Gerben, RAKO is a specialty coffee collective focused on sustainably sourced single-origin coffees and environmentally-friendly roasting practices. They are a collaborative community of coffee importers, roasters, artists, and baristas—all dedicated to providing the best coffee possible while focusing on the environment. Part of their commitment to environmentally-friendly business practices is that their roasting machines use 80% less fuel and emit almost no greenhouse gasses. RAKO also roasts in a sealed low oxygen environment, which helps to preserve the flavor of the coffee as it roasts. They’re not only crafting amazing specialty roasts, but they’re also paving the way for a more sustainable coffee industry!
Southeastern Roastery (Baltimore, Md.)
Photography via @southeasternroastery
Founded and owned by Candy Schibli, who is also head roaster, Southeastern Roastery crafts some fantastic offerings that are hard to find anywhere else. Schibli hand selects and roasts coffees from all over the world, many of which are used for their unique bespoke blends. They also host virtual blending classes, so anyone can learn the nuanced practice of bean blending. With offerings from Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, and Sumatra, you are bound to find a distinctive roast that you couldn’t find anywhere else.
Moore Coffee (Ventura, Calif.)
Photography via @moorecoffee
Gayla Moore, the founder of Moore Coffee, has been in the coffee business since 1990. She serves as green buyer, quality control manager, and roaster at Moore Coffee. They are certified organic with very high standards for their beans—roasting only single-origin, organic, and fair sustainable coffees. Due to their extremely high standards, Moore Coffee has a smaller selection of roasts than other coffee companies. But fret not, their exacting specifications has resulted in some truly delightful coffees that will keep you coming back for…Moore.
Sip & Sonder (Inglewood, Calif.)
Photography via @sipandsonder
Established in 2017 by owners Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas, Sip & Sonder's flagship location is the first specialty coffee house in Inglewood, Calif. With a coffee roaster, creative studio, and multi-purpose event space on site, Sip & Sonder is more than your ordinary coffee shop—they are an innovative and creative hub where coffee and community meet. Better yet, their mindfully curated coffee and innovative programs have cemented Sip & Sonder as a powerhouse in the LA coffee community.
Flight Coffee (Bedford, N.H.)
Photography via @flightcoffeeco
Claudia Barrett’s Flight Coffee is dedicated to bettering the coffee industry at all levels. From developing relationships in the sourcing process to offering absolute transparency on each of their roasts, Flight takes a whole approach to roasting and concentrating on the sight and smells of each batch. Their methodical approach celebrates the terroir of each unique growing region and processing method.
Tico Coffee Roasters (Campbell, Calif.)
Photography via @ticoroasters
Having grown up in Costa Rica, owner Mariana Faerron grew up surrounded by coffee farms. Tico Coffee Roasters is named to honor the heritage of Costa Rican coffee growers and to reflect the origins of Mariana and her love for coffee. Whether your tastes run from the classic to the exotic, they’ve got you covered. All of their coffees come from small coffee farms and undergo extensive quality control. They are also dedicated to direct trade, offering farmers much higher wages which allows them to expand their crops and live more comfortably. Tico also offers a lovely variety of teas in addition to their coffees which also undergoes a similar vetting process and offers higher pay for tea farmers worldwide!
City Girl Coffee (Duluth, Minn.)
Photography via @citygirlcoffee
City Girl Coffee is not just a cute company dressed in pink. Owned by Alyza Bohbot James, they are sustainable and responsible—working to bring awareness and equality to the women of the coffee industry. City Girl is dedicated to sourcing as much of their coffee as possible from small, women-owned or managed farms and co-operatives, and they give a portion of every sale back to organizations that support the success of women in their country of origin. Additionally, they send a portion of every sale to organizations that support their female partners and their surrounding communities. Through these relationships, City Girl offers fantastic coffee that won’t only dance on your palate, but also empowers women at every level of the coffee supply chain. Now, that’s worth supporting.
Black Coffee (Fort Worth, Texas)
Photography via @blackcoffeefw
Before Black Coffee came around, Fort Worth’s Eastside had no cafes for the neighborhood to enjoy. Mia Moss wanted to fill that hole, and as a result, Black Coffee has become a community hub notorious for good coffee. Mia started as a barista in the coffee industry and fell in love right out of high school, opening Black Coffee years later. Dedicated coffee enthusiasts come from all over Fort Worth to bask in the glory of Moss’ roasts. Their coffee selection is ever-changing, dependent on what offerings are the best reflection of their regions and terroir.
Have you tried the coffees form any of these amazing women? Have any favorite coffee roasters that aren't on this list? Tag us in your Instagram or TikTok posts! We love to hear about women diversifying the world of coffee.