Founder's Story

Born in Colorado, Simone Ispahani became acquainted with the world at an early age. At a young age, she moved with her family to the Netherlands, and studied at the American School of the Hague. Then her family moved to Sydney, Australia and later Hawaii, where she completed her high school education. Simone eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she attended Biola University, graduating with a degree in Sociology that emphasized Criminal Justice, with a minor in Biblical Studies.

Being biracial and growing up around a diverse array of cultures, Simone was gifted with a unique understanding of the world and a deep seeded desire to help humanity. At Biola, she first learned about the issue of human trafficking when an expert speaker on modern day slavery challenged her to join the fight. With a newfound perspective, she started to learn as much as she could about the issue. As Simone read articles, watched documentaries, spoke to both non-profits and Federal agents about their work on the front lines, she put her knowledge into action by interning at various anti-trafficking non-profits and co-leading a trip to India her senior year to work with survivors. As she did this, her passion for the cause expanded.

As she continued her work, one little thing became a constant comfort, as well as another passion: coffee. Her first vision of Social Brew was a brick-and-mortar store created to turn out a great product and create sustainable job opportunities for human trafficking survivors. Simone’s greatest hope for Social Brew is to cultivate a community that creates a place where trafficking victims are seen, known, loved, and given practical tools that help them take back their lives.

In her free time, Simone enjoys sipping coffee at one of her favorite local spots in Santa Monica. She also likes hanging out with her dog, painting, baking to feed her sweet tooth, listening to vintage vinyl recordings, and spending time with family and friends.

But she had a different kind of awakening when she learnt that 40.3 million people around the world are victims of modern-day slavery, and more than 70% of them are women and girls.