Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world, is now an investor in Tepito Coffee as part of an initiative to expand employment opportunities for formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated individuals, the organization announced Thursday.
Launched in 2021, Tepito is a coffee shop and coffee-growing venture. In 2022, it opened its first cafe at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena.
Through the Homeboy Ventures and Jobs Fund, both organizations plan to open additional coffee shops in neighborhoods across Los Angeles.
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"With every cup of coffee that we serve, we're supporting system- impacted individuals, sustaining the livelihood of our farmers in Mexico, and bringing back connection and healing into our lives," Mike de la Rocha, co- owner of Tepito Coffee, said in a statement.
Each shop is intended to provide jobs and workforce training opportunities for participants in Homeboy Industries' signature 18-month training program, and offer staff and leadership positions to individuals and graduates from the organization.
"This initiative is as much about investing in people so they can be owners and operators as it is about providing jobs for the individuals that Homeboy Industries supports," Thomas Vozzo, Homeboy Industries CEO, said in a statement. "With the support of our donors, our team plans to continue investing in entrepreneurs in local communities across Los Angeles who like us, don't just want to create jobs, but believe in creating those opportunities for people who are working to heal, change and transform their lives."
While most of the world's coffee is harvested in Latin America and Africa, the vast majority of the more than $45 billion total U.S. coffee market is controlled by corporations and companies that are not owned by people of color, officials said.
Tepito Coffee owners are determined to "rewrite that story with an unapologetically Latinx and indigenous-owned coffee company rooted in traditions of love and generosity while continuing to host culturally authentic events and programming," according to Homeboy Industries.
"This is the perfect partnership for us. Together, we are committed to providing hope, training, and employment for system-impacted people, while providing the most memorable coffee experience imaginable," Jose Arellano, co- owner of Tepito Coffee, said in a statement. "As a formerly incarcerated person who went through the Homeboy Industries program, I can personally attest to the immense opportunity that we have to change countless lives together."
Founded in 1988 by Father Gregory Boyle, Homeboy Industries provides training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people.
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