Our Impact

Our Impact

A Life of Service and a New Beginning
RTC Coffee was born from a journey of transformation, purpose, and human connection. After serving five years in the United States Coast Guard, I was medically retired in 2017. Coming from a family with three generations of military service, my entire life had been centered around serving my country. When my military career ended, it felt like everything I had known was pulled from beneath me, leaving me unsure of my future.

The Encounter That Changed Everything
In the midst of this uncertainty, I decided to travel the world. For two years, I wandered with nothing but a backpack, searching for clarity and meaning. It was in the mountains of Colombia, on a dirt road, where I met a coffee producer who forever changed my life. As we spoke, he shared his struggles—the weight of working tirelessly, yet still not earning enough to buy dinner. His story touched me deeply and sparked something inside me, but I didn’t know how to act on it.

A Call for Guidance
In that moment of reflection, I called my dad, seeking guidance. I’ll never forget his words: "You can change more lives through business than you could ever imagine." It was a turning point. Those words didn’t just steer me toward business; they opened my eyes to the impact I could make, not just for myself but for others. That phone call became the catalyst for RTC Coffee and my decision to pursue an MBA, where I realized that through business, I could build something that would help communities thrive.

From Colombia to Cambodia
Fast forward to July 2024. I found myself in Cambodia, coffee hunting again. This time, I met a driver who had never had the chance to go to school due to the aftermath of the Cambodian genocide. His dream was simple yet profound: for his daughter to have a better life than he did through education. His words echoed the same struggles I had heard in Colombia, and I knew then that RTC Coffee had to be more than just about coffee—it had to be a vehicle for change. That’s when the One-for-One initiative was born. For every bag of coffee sold, we fund a day of education for a child in a coffee-growing region. In September 2024, his daughter started school, becoming the first student supported by our initiative.

Our Mission Moving Forward

As of now, we’re working to expand this support to the first six students. Through RTC Coffee, we are driven by one simple mission: to make the world better, one bag of coffee at a time.