about swelter coffee
our mission
Our mission is to promote gender equity and sustainability in coffee. We feature coffees ethically sourced from women producers. You can learn more about them here. Swelter Coffee is owned and operated in Oak Park, IL by Stephanie Welter-Krause. All our roasting and packaging happens by Stephanie at Tailwind Roasting, the first co-roasting space located in Chicago, IL, also owned by a woman, Sarah Cline-Parker.
why women
Across the globe, women face disparities compared to men, particularly in terms of access to training, financial support, and wages. The coffee industry is no exception to this challenge. Our commitment lies in advocating for women by sharing, promoting, and celebrating their work. Through these efforts, we aspire to enhance their earning potential for the coffee they produce, fostering a more sustainable financial foundation for their endeavors. Join us in supporting women in the coffee industry by enjoying their amazing coffees!
our pledge
As Swelter Coffee grows, we’ll be pursuing direct partnerships with women-led farms and organizations to help support access to training, financing, and other needed resources. We currently are contributing a portion of our sales to Bean Voyage, to support their great work in helping women producers in Latin America.
Photo credit: Alexa Romano
sustainability
Good coffee is dependent on sustaining our planet. We are constantly looking for ways we can have a positive impact as we grow.
We pledge 1% for the Planet. This is a commitment that a minimum of 1% of profits are contributed to projects to help our planet.
We launched the Zero Waste Coffee Club. This is a new type of subscription that delivers quality coffee to your door without packaging waste.
All our shipping is carbon neutral through our shipping partner Sendle.
say hello!
We love to hear from you! Send us a note with comments or questions. We also love to collaborate and support other small, mission-driven businesses. Share your collaboration idea and we'll be in touch!
Founder & Roaster
Stephanie Welter-Krause
Roasting coffee has been a growing hobby turned passion. After trying to roast coffee beans in my apartment oven back in 2013, I was hooked. I love exploring new beans and coming back to ones I’ve roasted in years past. Swelter Coffee focuses on supporting women farmers –promoting sustainability, gender equity, and female empowerment.
Outside of Swelter Coffee, I am a visual designer focused on supporting sustainability and social responsibility, and I’m also a mom to a little girl. I want to show her she can grow to do anything she puts her blood, sweat, and tears into.