Des Moines, Iowa-based tea and coffee company BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages was founded by two childhood friends from Gary, Indiana who wanted to give back to their community. Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson founded BLK & Bold in the summer of 2018 and donate to programs that help economically disadvantaged youth pursue their best lives. “This is a mission-based brand,” said Cezar.
As neighbors on the same street in Gary, Indiana, Cezar andJohnson were familiar with the economic challenges the city underwent after therewere massive layoffs in the steel industry.
“Not having much industry in Northwest Indiana, that regionhas suffered to some degree,” Johnson said. “So we figured that this is anopportunity for us to impact that region with community service and provideresources that are no longer available in the area.” However, he added that thearea has a lot of potential, and the will and desire to take advantage ofopportunities is abundant within Gary.
Johnson studied Criminal Justice at Indiana University and hasa professional background in academic development. Cezar double majored inFinance and Marketing at the University of Northern Iowa and initially workedin the corporate world. Their combined experiences provided the foundation fortheir entrepreneurial venture.
Cezar said their ethos was to build a business model that contributes back to communities like Gary in a sustainable way, while sharing the scope of world’s opportunities with underprivileged youth.
The Certified B Corp Pending company supplies organic fair-trade tea and freshly roasted coffee to shops, restaurants, lodging, and offices across the United States. Cezar and Johnson contribute 5% of profits to community initiatives that are local to their wholesale clients.
One such initiative BLK & Bold has supported through apartnership with Gary-based restaurant J’s Breakfast Club is the Boys& Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana’s Gary location, whereJohnson and Cezar spent a great deal of time during their childhood. “It wasone of the constants that I could depend on in the community,” said Cezar, whospoke of development programs in the club that provided an antidote to the city’sless healthy distractions.
They have formed similar partnerships in other states andcontributed to comparable programs that service at-risk youth, such as theeducationally-focused By Degrees Foundation inDes Moines, Iowa and will continue to grow these efforts nationwide.
They plan to expand their tea and coffee sourcing communityalong with their product portfolio, including offering bottled beverages in thefuture. A subscription plan with shipping incentives is offered on thecompany’s website where they offer five teas (Chai Green Tea, Chamomile, EarlGrey, Jasmine, and Peach), and four types of coffee (BLK & Bold blend, Rise& Grind blend, Ethiopia Sidama single origin, and Rwanda Gishamwana Islandsingle origin).
BLK & Bold will be at the Coffee & Donut Festivalin Des Moines, Iowa on May 4, 2019.