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Coffee, Hustle, and Heritage: Brewing Legacy From the Ground Up
What happens when entrepreneurship meets ancestral intelligence? Gary Johnson III's journey reveals how reclaiming our innate creativity can build powerful businesses with purpose.
Gary wasn't always destined for business. Growing up watching his mother hustle as a single parent, renting U-Hauls and cleaning out properties across Philadelphia with her children in tow, planted seeds of entrepreneurship that would later flourish. While studying exercise science at the University of Delaware, Gary found himself drawn to entrepreneurial resources on campus, despite being one of few Black students in these spaces.
The path became crystal clear after a life-changing moment: being robbed at gunpoint while working as a pharmacy cashier. "If I'm gonna die for anything, why am I gonna die for this company that doesn't even care about me?" This revelation cemented his commitment to building his own legacy rather than contributing to someone else's.
BVP Coffee Co. emerged from Gary's time at Howard University, where he went seeking the HBCU experience. The brand's name, Bison Venture Partners, honors Howard's mascot while embracing the Black cowboy aesthetic of "blazing your own trail." Every bag features "1867," the founding year of Howard, Morehouse, and several other HBCUs, with one dollar from each sale supporting HBCU scholarships.
What makes this venture truly special is its connection to heritage. Coffee originated in Ethiopia, it's Black history at its root, yet the wealth it generates rarely benefits Black communities. After visiting coffee farms in Kenya, Gary established direct trade relationships with operations primarily run by African women, ensuring fair wages that enable farmers to educate their children and improve community infrastructure.
Now, Gary invites the community to join his vision through WeFunder, letting supporters invest as little as $100 to own equity in the company. His ultimate goal? Complete supply chain ownership—farms, roasteries, and community spaces that combine cafes, bookstores, and co-working environments.
As Gary powerfully states: "It's not artificial intelligence that we need to care about, it's ancestral intelligence." Ready to support this movement? Visit bvpcoffee.co to learn, shop, or invest in building this pyramid of Black excellence.
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By Brian FitchWhat happens when entrepreneurship meets ancestral intelligence? Gary Johnson III's journey reveals how reclaiming our innate creativity can build powerful businesses with purpose.
Gary wasn't always destined for business. Growing up watching his mother hustle as a single parent, renting U-Hauls and cleaning out properties across Philadelphia with her children in tow, planted seeds of entrepreneurship that would later flourish. While studying exercise science at the University of Delaware, Gary found himself drawn to entrepreneurial resources on campus, despite being one of few Black students in these spaces.
The path became crystal clear after a life-changing moment: being robbed at gunpoint while working as a pharmacy cashier. "If I'm gonna die for anything, why am I gonna die for this company that doesn't even care about me?" This revelation cemented his commitment to building his own legacy rather than contributing to someone else's.
BVP Coffee Co. emerged from Gary's time at Howard University, where he went seeking the HBCU experience. The brand's name, Bison Venture Partners, honors Howard's mascot while embracing the Black cowboy aesthetic of "blazing your own trail." Every bag features "1867," the founding year of Howard, Morehouse, and several other HBCUs, with one dollar from each sale supporting HBCU scholarships.
What makes this venture truly special is its connection to heritage. Coffee originated in Ethiopia, it's Black history at its root, yet the wealth it generates rarely benefits Black communities. After visiting coffee farms in Kenya, Gary established direct trade relationships with operations primarily run by African women, ensuring fair wages that enable farmers to educate their children and improve community infrastructure.
Now, Gary invites the community to join his vision through WeFunder, letting supporters invest as little as $100 to own equity in the company. His ultimate goal? Complete supply chain ownership—farms, roasteries, and community spaces that combine cafes, bookstores, and co-working environments.
As Gary powerfully states: "It's not artificial intelligence that we need to care about, it's ancestral intelligence." Ready to support this movement? Visit bvpcoffee.co to learn, shop, or invest in building this pyramid of Black excellence.