Girls Inc. of Metro Denver (GIMD)’s Social Enterprise Coffee Shop, Bold Beans, is gearing up to launch their second venture, a mobile coffee truck. The coffee truck will expand operations for Bold Beans and employment opportunities for Bold Baristas. Bold Beans is a girl-led coffee business providing opportunities for teen girls to explore entrepreneurship, gain real-world business skills, and enter the workforce through careers that lead to long-term economic independence.
Currently, Bold Beans café is located inside STEAM on the Platte in Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood at 1401 Zuni St., Denver, and is open Monday through Friday from 7am-5pm.
The purchase of a coffee truck will allow Bold Beans to increase operating hours to include weekends and special events, employ additional girls in paid, hourly positions, provide new opportunities for community engagement, and increase revenue generated through coffee and product sales. In addition, the coffee truck will provide opportunities for girls to explore additional aspects of small business development.
Jenny Valadez Fraire has been a Bold Barista for over a year and shared, “I am looking forward to the mobile coffee truck because it is a wonderful opportunity to expand our client base and provide people all over Metro-Denver with the chance to support Girls Inc. through a simple purchase. Additionally, our expansion will allow me to step into a leadership role.”
Girls Inc. of Metro Denver received initial funding from devoted supporters to get this project off the ground, including Mile High United Way’s Women United Innovation Fund and the Daniels Fund. Girls, Inc. launched a crowdfunding campaign to encourage support from loyal customers, donors, and friends of Girls Inc., so that the community can support the organization in their final push to get their coffee truck up and running.
In the last year, Bold Beans employed 20 girls (Bold Baristas) in hourly positions during after-school and summer hours. Hourly positions start at $10.50 and Bold Baristas have earned over $30,000 in wages and tips. In addition to paid positions, Bold Baristas participate in monthly business development courses exploring costs of goods sold, profit margins, cash handling, and marketing. The girls also lead the hiring process for all new employees.
Bold Baristas are not the only girls benefiting from Bold Bean’s mobile coffee truck expansion. One hundred and fifty girls annually participate in social enterprise programs focused on economic literacy, business development, and entrepreneurship.
“We are thrilled to invest in the growth of our social enterprise model and launch a Bold Beans coffee truck, which will be fueled by our strong, smart, and bold girls! It is their innovation and commitment that drive new opportunities for girls across our community, and we are so proud to support them,” said Sonya Ulibarri, President & CEO.
To support Girls Inc. of Metro Denver’s Mobile Coffee Truck Crowdfunding campaign: girlsincdenver.org/boldbeans
or call 303-893-4363 for more information.
For More Colorado News: ELSEMANARIOCOLORADO.COM
