Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaren Mendel.
Jaren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started Karma Coffee in November of 2015 as a method to systematically inspire acts of kindness through a unique and creative exchange – you pay for your coffee with an act of kindness. Since then, we’ve inspired more than 6,000 acts of kindness directly and started a festival of kindness called Kindfest. Kindfest features live local music, acts of kindness, and community organizations. Unique to Kindfest is that the community organizations provide acts of kindness for people to do on the spot anywhere from writing a thank you note to planting a native specie. Both of these projects primarily take place on UGA’s campus in Athens, GA, although we plan to expand into Atlanta in the coming months.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The challenges have been the fun parts and have provided the opportunity for learning and growth. As you might expect, accepting kindness as payment for our coffee isn’t quite profitable, so finding sponsors and partners was the first mission. Recruiting volunteers and mobilizing a movement have been the most challenging yet meaningful tasks. Most recently, I’m learning how to delegate responsibilities and advise future boards on the like so that Karma Coffee and Kindfest sustain beyond my direct touch.
Karma Coffee and Kindfest – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At Karma Coffee, you pay for your coffee with an act of kindness. We specialize in inspiring kindness through this unique exchange. Kindfest inspires similar value by creating an atmosphere of compassion through live local music, community organizations, and acts of kindness you can do on the spot. I’m most proud of our continuity. Doing a project by oneself is amazing. Enrolling others is difficult. The most challenging is passing off a well structured and supported organization so that it can continue to roll even after I personally let go. This is the only way organizations grow beyond an individual’s touch. I am proud that we’ve developed a unique and creative way that is easy to understand and systematically inspires people to express their compassion. We are the only organization I’m aware of that has done what we’ve done – directly connect interpersonal values like kindness to our most familiar transaction.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Indicators of success to me are the vibrancy of our culture. Having a committee of volunteers and directors that are dedicated to our cause is the ultimate goal. Through a strong internal culture that prioritizes the values we preach, we are suited to inspire others. Therefore, the quality of our culture is what’s most important to me when defining success because our culture is the root of our ability to inspire others.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 404-556-3762
- Email: thekarmacoffee@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekarmacoffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekarmacoffee
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