Jessi Anderson
My name is Jessi Anderson, and I am a senior at Arizona State University pursuing a BS in Business Entrepreneurship with a certificate in Digital Business Innovation. After graduation, my dream is to open a start-up coffee shop that blends the perfect vibe of coziness and productivity, creating a space where people from all backgrounds can come together to connect, study, or simply enjoy the atmosphere. Jessi’s Coffee Co. will serve a variety of specialty drinks alongside classic coffee favorites, complemented by fresh baked goods and breakfast items. With something for everyone, my goal is to create not just a coffee shop, but a sanctuary.
Background
I was born and raised in a small town in Washington called North Bend. I went to college in Arizona to escape the constant rain and to work toward my dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
Why a coffee shop?
During my last two years of high school, I was part of a program called Running Start, which allowed me to earn both high school and college credits by taking classes at a nearby community college. Almost every day after class, I would stop at a coffee shop just off campus for a drink, a snack, and a place to do homework.
One day, I looked around and realized something special: everyone in that shop was there for completely different reasons. A group was planning a wedding, someone was meeting with higher-ups about a product launch, a couple looked like they were on a first date, and one person was quietly reading a book. I thought, how amazing that all these people, with such different lives, chose to be in the same space at the same time.
That moment sparked my dream of opening a coffee shop where people feel comfortable and create meaningful experiences of their own. Since then, I’ve been working toward this goal: I became a barista, gained three years of hands-on experience, and committed myself to business school with this vision in mind every single day. I’m excited to take the next step and bring this startup to life.