Inicio Coffee Company’s story began with an initiative to see the end of injustice.
With a vision to end exploitation holistically Jenny and Robert Barber established Justice 180 as a nonprofit organization in 2015. When Hannah Groen joined an anti-trafficking school led by Justice 180, she was asked to join the Barbers in their vision to fight trafficking. Unknown to her, partnering with the Barbers would eventually lead Hannah to be the owner of a specialty coffee shop in San Fernando Valley, California.
Over time, we realized that although Justice 180 was effective, we wanted to do more. We wanted to be a part of the solution to anti-trafficking through prevention. We realized through the combination of coffee and business, we could holistically end exploitation. For seven years we dreamed, planned, and learned the ins and outs of coffee, including learning to roast coffee on a popcorn machine in a small garage. In 2019, we signed a business license knowing there was a future for our business even if we weren’t certain of how it would play out.
The idea of Inicio Coffee Company was sparked as an idea to holistically end human trafficking.
In the middle of a worldwide pandemic, TK Coffee & Roastery opened up shop in San Fernando Valley.
In 2020 we stumbled upon a space that had potential to host our dream, so we bought it and began remodeling in the midst of COVID-19. On January 8th, 2021 Hannah and the Barbers opened the doors of our specialty coffee shop and roastery to serve the community of Pacoima. We roasted beans in-house, started getting to know the people of San Fernando Valley, and partnered with Justice 180 to eradicate slavery.
We still craft the best coffee for our locals, and we’ve expanded into a space that inspires change.
After a few years of running our roastery and coffee shop, we decided to create further opportunities of justice. In order to form more pathways of support for survivors of trafficking, we split from Talitha Coffee Roasters and Inicio Coffee Company became an independent coffee shop in Pacoima, California. Because of this change, Talitha Coffee is now able to offer chances of employment and rehabilitation for those stuck in exploitation. Our vision stays the same since the beginning: end human trafficking and inspire change in every person we meet.
Small beginnings & big dreams
Our small beginnings remind us daily of why we’re here. Inicio Coffee Company is a statement of believing in dreams, hoping for the impossible, and seeing that change is possible. We want our loyal coffee drinkers to change for the better. Change their lives and go after their dreams. Change the world around them and fight for something bigger than themselves. Visit us in Pacoima, California and join the initiative to inspire change with every cup.