Thu is a coffee roaster, eternal educator, community advocate, a ray of joy, and a small business owner.
Thu co-runs Càphê Roasters, Philadelphia’s first and only Vietnamese specialty coffee roastery, with Raymond John. Thu and Ray met while working together at 12+, a nonprofit that partners with high schools in underserved communities to provide academic, college, and career support services that help students create a dedicated path beyond the 12th grade. Thu was a college and career advisor, and Ray continues to serve as CEO.
The partners wanted to build a social enterprise that would drive funding and create a personal and professional development program for 12+ students. One night, while bowling in South Philadelphia, Ray saw a flyer for the Storefront Challenge and worked with Thu and team to pitch their Càphê idea. The benefits and guarantees SHIFT had offered were too good to pass up: “We were afraid if we didn’t do it, we would regret it.” And the location in Kensington fit with their mission…12+ had been serving the same neighborhood for seven years at the time.
With the win, a Càphê was born. At least the roastery piece, first.