Manitowoc County residents have an exciting business venture to look forward to this spring- Higher Grounds Coffee. Owned and operated by Katreena Powell, Higher Grounds Coffee will operate as a fully functional coffee truck, serving hot and cold coffee, specialty drinks, smoothies, and teas. Powell hopes to be open and ready to go for the first Manitowoc Farmers Market in May. She has committed herself to the Saturday Farmers Markets this summer as well as being present at the Night Market. Katreena remembered being at the night market last year and wishing there were other beverages available besides beer and soda. The name, “Higher Grounds Coffee” comes from the popular expression of “taking the higher ground,” as all of the products provided by Powell will be fair trade. This means that extra steps and measures have gone into verifying that all the coffee, tea, and cocoa used comes from countries where producers are paid and treated fairly. Sadly, not a lot of coffee shops make the effort to be fully fair trade, as the expenses are higher and the time commitment to do the research is greater. With a background and interest in both health/human services and social justice, however, this was a non-negotiable for Powell as she dreamed of starting her own business. Katreena worked with the International Justice Mission in college, which is a global organization dedicated to eliminating the slave trade everywhere. The mission resonated with her, and she continues to want to spread awareness of sex trafficking, modern day slavery, and corruption. In addition to selling coffee and tea, Katreena will also have fabric flowers available that she hand creates. All proceeds from the fabric flowers will go to Redeem and Restore, a Wisconsin based nonprofit which exists to love, restore, and support women escaping from domestic sexual exploitation or trafficking. Powell hopes she can use her coffee truck to help raise awareness of international injustice and start these important conversations. Katreena has already experienced a lot of support for her new business; she raised $10,000 in a Kickstarter campaign in order to buy her truck, and she has found success selling coffee beans at the Manitowoc Winter Market on Marshall Street. All of her coffee products will be from “Just Coffee”- a Madison-based co-op producing wholesale coffee who also support Powell’s belief in environmental stability, human dignity, and social activism. Katreena also has support from the owners of Wrap it Up, her former employer who nurtured her interest in the coffee industry. Make sure you keep your eye out for Higher Grounds Coffee this spring and summer and support a local business who is doing global good.
