On my way to high school in Tucson, AZ, I would meet up with my brother in a coffee shop across the street from campus...sometimes losing track of time. I ended up working in that coffee shop. For the next five years, through college, I worked in coffee shops and loved every espresso pull and fresh drip batch. I loved the responsibility of serving joy and creating an intimate space to enjoy a good cup of coffee.

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In 2012, I graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in English and Mexican American Studies. I got accepted to UC Berkeley to get my MSW and the Bay Area, CA became my new home. 11 years and a doctorate later, I realized I had tucked a dream away: to open a coffee shop. After releasing doubt and imposter syndrome I Googled, "How to roast coffee," and I found myself back in Berkeley at CoRo packaging my first batches of roasted coffee in March of 2021.

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I named my coffee Dollar and a Bean after "Dollar and a Dream," a J. Cole song from my college years. For me, D&B Coffee is my creative outlet for joy, community, and culture. As I pursue this dream, I am also continuing to pursue my LCSW to become a community-based therapist for families. I am a big believer now that it is possible to hold multiple dreams, passions, and possibilities. Thank you for letting me share my dream with you. Cheers!

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Your Xingona Roaster,

Elisa Meza

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I am diving into the world of coffee roasting, humbly and kindly. I am seeking to build connection and community within this industry knowing that the impact of globalization, colonization, climate change, and continued disproportionality, particularly through gender and class, continue to impact how we interact with coffee. I hope to change the ways we connect with coffee by centering the community throughout the coffee roasting process.