Coffee, Silicon Valley, and… George W. Bush's former roommate? In this episode of Art of Citizenry Podcast, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by long-time collaborator Anna Canning as they kick off a new series on private equity by tracing what happens when big finance meets something as everyday as your morning cup of coffee.

Philz Coffee made headlines earlier this year when the iconic San Francisco coffee company got bought by private equity firm Freeman Spogli in a deal that cancelled all employee common stock options. Together, Manpreet and Anna dig into what happened, breaking down the complex financial maneuvers and unpacking how this conclusion was both unexpected and not all that surprising.

In this episode, we explore the case of Philz Coffee while touching on:

• What private equity is and how “leveraged buyouts” and high-risk financial engineering shape our daily lives
• The hierarchy of who gets paid when investors are involved and what Philz’s decision to cancel worker stock tells us about whose investments really matter
• How consolidation in coffee offers insights into the  broader patterns of the global economy where consolidation has become the name of the game
• The people, let’s be real…men…behind Freeman Spogli, the firm’s origins, and ties to U.S. politics.
• Why transparency, journalism, and informed communities are essential for pushing back on corporate impunity

Tune in as we begin to unmask corporate consolidation in coffee and beyond: Nestlé’s and JAB’s coffee empires, the pressure on small ethical roasters, historic low coffee prices for farmers, and how firms like Freeman Spogli have been quietly reshaping everything from grocery chains to farmers’ livelihoods. We connect the dots between colonialism, capitalism, and financialization, showing how risk is repeatedly pushed down onto workers (and farmers) while profits are siphoned off at the top.

📌Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. 

• Contribute via Paypal: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal
• Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofcitizenry

Follow Manpreet on Instagram: https://instagram.com/manpreetkalra

Explore Past Episodes of the Art of Citizenry Podcast with Manpreet Kalra: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes