The Coffee Bean That Brewed Into This Puerto Rican Mom’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Jiselle O’Neal, founder of Suenos Coffee Co., a subscription service that provides users with women-owned coffee brands, remembers being in love with coffee since she was seven-years-old. 

At that point in her life, she’d enjoy coffee with her grandmother. Over coffee, the two discussed island life in Puerto Rico and their life aspirations. These conversations planted the coffee bean that brewed into Jiselle’s inspiration to pursue entrepreneurship.

The Latinx Collective caught up with Jiselle to discuss the lack of women in the coffee roasting industry, managing a side hustle as a mother, advice for Latina entrepreneurs and more.

Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind starting your company, what particular moments in your life or events pushed you to create Sueños Coffee? 

My grandmother used to serve me coffee, as early as 7 years old, and we would just sit and talk about her dreams, her time growing up in Puerto Rico,etc. Those moments were such a special period of connection for us and was the catapult of my love story with coffee. When I had kids, I knew I wanted to start thinking of ways to create more freedom and flexibility in my life, and I went into 2021 deciding that I would take the leap and start my own business. My son loves to “help me” make coffee, and one morning it just clicked. I was going to figure out how to start a business in coffee and in some way spread to others the joy and connection is has given me. From there, Sueños Coffee Co. was born.

What steps did you take to learn about coffee production so quickly, since you were not from the industry?

For about 5 months, I went down the coffee rabbit hole! I ordered books on roasting coffee and coffee history, I read blogs, listened to podcasts, watched Youtube videos on coffee processing, and asked questions in forums on Reddit. I just took in as much information as I could, from anywhere that I could access it. The fun thing about coffee though is that it has so much depth! So, I’m still learning more about it every day and it’s been a lot of fun to continue to grow my knowledge. 

Sueños works solely with women-owned roasters. Why is that important and how does that make an impact in the coffee world? 

When I was brainstorming what I wanted my business model to be, I was doing an internet search and I came across a women-owned roaster in Colorado and I was shocked at how surprised I felt. I realized that it had never crossed my mind that women were in the coffee industry in this way and wondered how many others didn’t realize that either. Then I learned of the #shestheroaster movement which highlights gender inequities in coffee roasting, absence of female mentors in the field, and overall lack of visibility and opportunity for women in roasting. It became really important for me that Sueños be a platform that continues this conversation and gives visibility to women-owned roasters so that hopefully more opportunities will continue to open for other women in coffee.

What is the most surprising thing you learned about the coffee /roaster world?

It is such a science and a craft! One of my favorite things has been learning more about how different regions, different processing methods, and different ways of roasting all affect the taste of our coffee. Similar to how you would taste wine, there are ways you can taste and try coffee that would tell you exactly where it was grown, how it was processed, and how it was roasted. It’s been a lot of fun learning how to do that! 

Which Latina owned coffee roasters do you want people to learn about?

Cafecita Coffee out of Los Angeles, Little Waves Coffee Roasters in Durham, Caballo Rojo Coffee in Durham as well, and even though they are not on our site yet, Mother Tongue Coffee in Oakland. Each of these brands are run by Latinas who are committed to not only roasting great coffee, but pouring back into their communities, and making sure the farmers they work with are making livable and sustainable wages. 

What is the #1 piece of advice you would give to other Latina business owners? What about business owners who are also moms?

Don’t be afraid to start small! Especially moms and other caregivers. Social media and the internet right now can have us thinking that we need to come out the gate with six-figure launches, and these great grand ideas to be legitimate, when in reality, building a business is a long game and just by trying to build one you are already doing more than most. Starting small is not only great for figuring out your voice, your pain points, etc. but also good for your mental health. Especially if you have so many other responsibilities to juggle. Whatever your idea is, we need it, so just take it one day at a time and start! 

What tips do you have for coffee newbies/ novices who want to explore but don’t know where to start?

I would definitely invest in a good grinder, purchase whole bean coffee from local coffee shops or roasters (not big-brands), and only brew with filtered water. Using good quality coffee, grinding it right before brewing, and making sure your water is decent will right away elevate your coffee. Then the best way to figure out what type of coffee you enjoy most, is to try different types when you can and compare your experience. For example, buy an Ethiopian coffee this month, and a Guatemalan coffee next month. Overtime, the more you try the more it will become clear what type of coffee you really enjoy! 

Authored by Miranda Perez.