The LGBT team of Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell, co-founders of San Rafael, California-based Equator Coffees & Teas, were named SBA national Small Business Persons of the Year. Appearing with them on stage this Monday morning at the award ceremony at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC was Maureen McHugh, vice president of Equator Coffees, who has never missed a day of work in the 21 years she has been with the firm.
Maria Contreras-Sweet, U.S. Small Business Administration head, was on stage to present the awards, as was Douglas Kramer, SBA Deputy Administrator, and Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures. Mark is also a “shark” investor on the television series Shark Tank.
Brooke and Helen initially launched two coffee bars named Europa in San Francisco, but Brooke became frustrated with the lack of information regarding farms, farmers, climate and origin of coffee. The partners bought an Italian roaster using funds from the sale of Brooke’s mother’s wedding ring and began roasting coffee in Brooke’s garage. Equator Coffees & Teas was born in 1995 just as the specialty coffee industry was heating up.
All 90 employees have health insurance that’s paid 100 percent by Equator Coffees, a fact that the team considers their most important accomplishment.
