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05/13/2022

How an Introvert Built a Business From Nonprofit Skills

How to focus on key projects and apply nonprofit problem-solving skills

When Kalima DeSuze launched the coffee shop and feminist bookstore Cafe con Libros in 2017, she wasn’t trying to fill a need or solve a problem. The Brooklynite wanted to open a bookshopin her hometown to spark her creativity and pursue her passion for books — an interest ignited by her mother’s love for literature.

Along the way, she has built an active community of customers who enjoy the curated selection of titles by women of color, the coffee (a dirty chai latte with lavender and oat milk is among the shop’s most popular orders), or a mix of both.

"[Coffee and books are] two things that really will bring people together. Every coffee shop has [its] regulars, and you get to build it," DeSuze tells Refinery29 Somos. "We’ve seen entire families expand. We’ve seen families break up. We’ve seen divorces. We’ve seen marriages. You see people move out of the community and move back in. We’ve seen so much because we have paired these two."

Please select this link to read the complete blog post from Refinery 29 Somos.

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