Elevate Coffee is a family-owned brand that partners with Guatemalan coffee farmers to help children affected by economic issues.
Michael Iwasko’s idea to start Elevate was sparked by Alicia Iwasko’s, his wife, passion at work and Nadezhda’s, his daughter, awe at that passion. He quit his corporate job to run the company full time with some weekend assistance from Alicia, who is also a principal at Annie Blanton Elementary School.
Michael Iwasko with Elevate Coffee booth at the Dallas Arboretum Christmas Village. Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD Hub
Lately, the Lake Highlands family and their two children, which includes their one-year-old son Leon, have spent weekends at Dallas Arboretum’s Christmas Village selling Elevate coffee. A quarter of the profits from sales go towards helping children in both Guatemala and Dallas who lack clean water, supplements or other resources.
“Fifty percent of children in Guatemala suffer from chronic malnutrition, and one in 20 dies before the age of 4 because of the bacteria in the water supply,” Michael told Dallas ISD’s Hub. “This could have been my daughter living in this situation.”
The Iwaskos take Elevate Coffee to various events and pop ups around Dallas, including Klyde Warren Park and Main Street Garden. They also go to Guatemala with their products to further connect with the communities they help.
Products and more information about Elevate Coffee can be found online at elevatecoffeetrading.com.
