Driven to give - Melissa Brown’s leap of faith into the coffee business

She was just looking for a way to help fund her family’s New Song Mission, a non-profit in Nicaragua. Somehow, that turned into a coffee service journey – coffee cart operator, to OCS and pantry service operator, to roaster.

For Melissa Brown, founder and owner of Well-Bean Coffee in Wake Forest, North Carolina, it’s really all about giving back. On a visit to Nicaragua in 2012, she came up with what seemed like a simple idea – import coffee and sell it in states to help finance the needs of her family’s non-profit.

It was an uphill climb (a nightmare at times) that required hard work and the willingness to take extreme risks – something many operators and small businesspeople can certainly relate to. When everything about her plan seemed destined for failure, Brown found a way to persevere and ultimately, her story is about faith, philanthropy, effort and a little luck – which always helps.

For any entrepreneur, Melissa’s story is a great listen, an inspiration that may cause some to consider the value of giving back to a cause that truly means something to you.