Java for change: Half of this coffee company’s profits go to help sex trafficking victims

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Mid-Pacific Institute graduate Simone Ispahani believes that a good cup of coffee can connect people and ideas.

That’s the reason she started Social Brew.

“It’s an online e-commerce coffee company. I primarily source from the Hawaiian islands because I used to live there,” she said.

Her coffee’s made from beans grown on the Big Island that are roasted in Hawaii.

Coffee lovers from across the U.S. order her product.

“I’m pretty biased, but I think it’s amazing,” she said. “We have 100% Kona single-origin coming from the Big Island, which is one of the top coffees in the world.”

But Ispahani is in business for more than personal gain. She donates 50% of her profits to non-profit organizations that help survivors of human trafficking. One of them is Ho Ola Na Pua.

“For me, it was really important to speak about the rehabilitation process because I feel like with the issue a lot of people speak about the rescue and that hard bit, but they don’t talk about the aftermath,” she said.

According to global statistics, 50 million people are forced into labor or sexual exploitation.

Ispahani came face-to-face with it while working alongside survivors in India.

“When you hear these big numbers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But once you put a face to that statistic, how can you not want to help?” she said.

She now lives in Santa Monica, where she oversees her online company and looks for more ways to combat human trafficking.

“One day I’d love to have a physical coffee store where I could employ survivors and be able to create sustainable job opportunities,” she said.

You can buy her signature brand of coffee at the Kahala Hotel & Resort gift shop and online at SocialBrew.us

“You can follow along with our journey @sipsocialbrew on Instagram. I’m always happy to hear from potential customers or people that just want to get involved in this cause and educate themselves,” she said.