Wildflyer Coffee

What Wildflyer Coffee does

Wildflyer Coffee is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 82-0734578) founded in 2017 by Executive Director Carley Kammerer that operates a specialty coffee social enterprise integrated with a youth employment program. It runs two retail cafes in Minneapolis (3262 Minnehaha Ave, opened November 2020) and St. Paul (1362 7th St W, opened 2022), an e-commerce storefront selling 12oz and 5-lb whole bean coffee plus branded merchandise, a recurring Jolt subscription managed via Subbly, a wholesale program, and a Joe-to-Go coffee catering service. Its core product is specialty roasted coffee (including house blends Boss Blend, Dark Night, City Lights, Ice Queen Cold Brew and single origins such as Ethiopia Nansebo and Costa Rica Central Valley sourced via Coop Libertad's Café Juventud program), supported operationally by Clover for online ordering and the Squarespace platform for the storefront. Pricing is transparently published, ranging from $16-$22 per 12oz bag and $95 per 5-lb bag to $25-$45 for merchandise and $30/hour for meeting space rental.

The organization's mission is to deliver a 4-month paid Work & Life Skills Training cohort for youth aged 16-24 experiencing homelessness and housing instability, employing up to 12 participants per cohort across both locations (48 youth per year). Programmatic services include barista and customer service training, life-skills workshops (budgeting, communication, mental health — co-developed with MoveFwd), housing referrals, and a 2025 Alumni Program. The operating team comprises two Program Managers, multiple Program Leads, a licensed Social Worker, and the Executive Director.

Revenue mechanics are hybrid: approximately 70% from earned income (cafe retail, e-commerce, Jolt subscription, wholesale, catering, meeting space) and 30% from contributions (individual donations, grants, and the Soar Circle monthly donor program at $5/$10/$500 tiers). Go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer: physical retail, mission-driven word-of-mouth, partnerships with intake organizations (MoveFwd, The Link, YouthLink) and Twin Cities wholesalers, supported by content marketing (blog, Instagram, Facebook, email newsletter) and annual events such as the Brewing Brighter Futures fundraiser and Twin Cities Marathon sponsorship. Customer segments are youth participants (non-revenue), mission-aligned retail and wholesale consumers in the Twin Cities, and institutional/event buyers; the entire model is geographically constrained to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro.

Name

Wildflyer Coffee

Legal name

Wildflyer Coffee

Website

https://wildflyercoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wildflyer Coffee is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating two specialty coffee cafes (Minneapolis and St. Paul), wholesale accounts, an e-commerce and subscription business, and catering, funding a 4-month paid employment and life-skills training program for youth aged 16-24 experiencing homelessness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Retail

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Youth employment programs
• Coffee wholesale supply
• Nonprofit social enterprise
• Coffee subscription service

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee & Food Sales: Wildflyer operates two retail cafes in Minneapolis and St. Paul selling specialty coffee drinks, whole bean coffee, and pastries. In-store sales constitute the majority of earned revenue.
2. Coffee Subscription (Jolt): Wildflyer's Jolt subscription program delivers 12oz bags of whole bean coffee on a recurring basis (weekly, twice monthly, or monthly) directly to subscribers' doors. Subscribers choose from blends or single origins.
3. E-commerce (Whole Bean & Merchandise): Online sales of whole bean coffee in 12oz and 5-pound bags, plus branded merchandise including apparel, hats, and drinkware.
4. Wholesale Coffee: Wildflyer supplies ethically sourced, roasted coffee to cafes, restaurants, offices, and organizations at competitive wholesale pricing. Each wholesale partner purchase funds the Work & Life Skills Training program.
5. Coffee Catering (Joe-to-Go): Wildflyer provides freshly brewed coffee catering for meetings and events, with options for up to 12 servings or larger quantities, plus pastries from Vikings & Goddesses Pie Company. Requires 72 hours advance notice.
6. Individual Donations & Grants: Wildflyer is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 82-0734578). The organization is approximately 70% funded through earned income and 30% through contributions from donors, grants, and monthly Soar Circle members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wildflyer Coffee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit specialty coffee roaster and retailer that operates two brick-and-mortar cafés in Minneapolis and St. Paul. It sells whole bean coffee through retail, an e-commerce storefront, a recurring subscription (Jolt), wholesale accounts, and event catering (Joe-to-Go), with all earned revenue and donor contributions funding a Work & Life Skills Training program that employs youth aged 16–24 experiencing homelessness.

Product overview

Wildflyer Coffee is a nonprofit specialty coffee company with a dual business model: retail coffee sales and a youth employment training program. The core product portfolio consists of specialty coffee (sold as retail beans, via the Jolt subscription service, through wholesale accounts, and in two retail café locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN), complemented by merchandise (apparel, accessories, drinkware), catering services (Joe-to-Go), and meeting space rental. Coffee offerings include single origins and house blends, with recent expansion into relationship-based sourcing through the Costa Rica Café Juventud program. The company's mission-driven approach means coffee sales directly fund youth employment and training, creating an integrated social enterprise where products and mission are inseparable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coffee (Retail Whole Bean) Specialty whole bean coffee sold in 12oz and 5lb bags, including house blends (Boss Blend, Dark Night Blend, City Lights Blend, Ice Queen Cold Brew Blend) and single origins (Ethiopia Nansebo, Costa Rica Central Valley) sourced through ethical suppliers including Coop Libertad's Café Juventud program.
• Jolt Coffee Subscription

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% of graduates maintained or improved their housing stability in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Peace CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2020Peace Coffee exited its retail shops to focus on wholesale, partnering with Wildflyer to operate its Wonderland Park location at 3262 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis. Peace Coffee provided training and operational support to help Wildflyer open its first permanent coffee shop. Wildflyer continues to benefit from Peace Coffee's roasting expertise and community relationships.
• Butter Bakery CafecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2020Butter Bakery Cafe partnered with Wildflyer during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue the mission when Wildflyer's own brick-and-mortar was delayed. Wildflyer brought youth programming and training expertise; Butter Bakery provided operational support and space, employing at least seven young people. The partnership was key to maintaining operations during a critical period.
• MoveFwdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoveFwd is a local nonprofit supporting young people in crisis in the Twin Cities. Through their Transitional Living Program, they refer youth to Wildflyer for employment support. MoveFwd also leads Wildflyer's Mental Health in the Workplace workshops, created in tandem with Wildflyer.
• The LinkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Link connects young people in crisis with housing support and referred Esther to Wildflyer Coffee's employment program. Liz, a case manager at The Link, helped connect youth to both housing resources and Wildflyer, facilitating the dual pathway of housing stability and employment.
• Emiliani CoffeemoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerEmiliani Coffee donates $1 per bag of ethically sourced organic coffee sold to nonprofits fighting for kids in foster care and adoption. Wildflyer Coffee was selected as a donation recipient in 2022. Roughly 20% of youth who age out of foster care age into homelessness, creating a close connection between the organizations.
• Dogwood CoffeemoderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDogwood Coffee teaches 'Seed to Cup' workshops to Wildflyer program participants, educating youth on coffee sourcing, processing, and quality. This partnership provides technical coffee knowledge and enriches the training program.
• Coop Libertad / Café JuventudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildflyer's Costa Rica Central Valley coffee is sourced through Coop Libertad's Café Juventud (Youth Coffee) program, which supports young farmers aged 20-40 with sustainable production training, processing techniques, and a 20-cent premium per pound. Currently 45 young producers are enrolled. A portion of each bag sold goes directly back to the farmers for reinvestment.
• Third Share ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildflyer is exploring a sourcing partnership with the Third Share Project in India, which works with tribal communities designated as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. The initiative invests in young coffee farmers through training, capital, and technical assistance to improve quality, expand market access, and build economic stability.
• Tavoli'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTavoli's, a local restaurant, donated tacos for Wildflyer's cohort graduation events, demonstrating community mutual aid among Twin Cities small businesses.
• Vikings & Goddesses Pie CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVikings & Goddesses Pie Company supplies breakfast pastries and cookies for Wildflyer's Joe-to-Go coffee catering orders, adding a food component to event catering packages.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Premium specialty coffee roaster, cafe operator, and subscription brand. Comparable as a brand-led specialty peer competing for the same premium, mission-aware consumer segment that Wildflyer targets.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty roaster with a longstanding sustainability and education mission. Comparable as a values-driven specialty wholesaler that sells into cafes, offices, and training programs similar to Wildflyer's wholesale base.
• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with national wholesale and subscription reach. Comparable as a multi-channel specialty competitor (retail, wholesale, subscription) operating at significantly larger scale.
• Caribou Coffee: Minnesota-founded specialty coffee chain with deep Twin Cities retail presence. Represents the scaled incumbent against which Wildflyer competes for retail foot traffic and wholesale accounts in its home market.

Emerging players

• Housing Works: NYC-based nonprofit operating thrift stores and BookThug Cafe to fund housing and services for people experiencing homelessness. Comparable as a nonprofit that uses a food/coffee retail channel to subsidize homelessness services.
• Greyston Bakery: Social enterprise food manufacturer using an open-hiring model to employ individuals facing barriers to work. Comparable as a mission-anchored food-business peer where every sale funds workforce development for underserved populations.
• Just Coffee Cooperative: Worker-owned specialty coffee roaster with a mission- and relationship-based sourcing model. Comparable as a values-driven specialty wholesaler with a farmer-direct supply chain similar to Wildflyer's Café Juventud partnership.

Direct peers

• Café Momentum: Dallas-based nonprofit restaurant and training program for at-risk and justice-involved youth. Closest operating model peer — nonprofit food-service business funding paid youth employment and life-skills training.
• Peace Coffee: Minneapolis-based specialty coffee roaster and former Wildflyer site partner. Operates in the same Twin Cities retail and wholesale market with overlapping mission-driven branding, making it the closest geographic and category peer.
• Dogwood Coffee: Twin Cities specialty coffee roaster and active Wildflyer partner (Seed-to-Cup workshops). Competes for the same retail, wholesale, and educated-consumer dollars in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wildflyercoffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildflyercoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildflyercoffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wildflyer Coffee