SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A few years ago, Taylor Fields was standing in a different room, doing a different job.
She used to be a certified public accountant. Now, she’s an entrepreneur doing something she loves.
“I was just obsessed with the science, art, taste, flavors of coffee,” Fields says.
But the road to this career change wasn’t easy.
“Starting your own company... being a gay woman... none of it is easy. Life has never been easy,” she says.
However, Fields wasn’t just determined to make things work. She wanted to create change — something she says sets her company, Nostalgia Coffee Roasters, apart from the rest.
“What we're really doing is using coffee here as a catalyst for systemic change, for a more equitable, inclusive, diverse and sustainable coffee industry,” she says.
As she learned more about the business of brewing coffee from start to finish, she began to notice the challenges other women faced.
“Only 15% of the world's coffee farms are owned by women, but 99% of coffee is touched by women,” Fields says.
That’s why her company seeks to work specifically with other women and makes a financial investment to uphold the mission.
“Forever, we're going to give 5% of our revenue directly back to producers, no matter what. No matter what we do, we have to make up for inequalities that have taken place,” Fields says.
As she expands her business of brewing specialty coffee from beans found around the globe, Fields hopes her story inspires the younger generation of girls to fight for what they believe in.
“We're capable of doing anything and follow your passion," she says. "And do what makes you happy and you'll be successful no matter what.”
