Word Life — The Creative Entrepreneur

A direct-to-consumer third wave specialty coffee company. Collaborate with hip-hop artists, build the music into the package and turn every bag into a release. Not merch next to the art. The coffee was part of the art.

Mestizo started with my own conversion — from industrial-grade coffee to specialty coffee, the real thing, made with care. Once I tasted the difference, I couldn't go back, and I couldn't leave the idea alone either. So I built a coffee company the way I know how to build anything: with the culture inside it.

The collaborations are the point. LMNO, Peace 586, Lisa Vazquez and Dudley Perkins — hip-hop artists releasing specialty coffee with their music on the bag. You don't just drink it. You hear it.

▶ Play Black Love

▶ Play Bean Water

LMNO · Peace 586 · Lisa Vazquez · Dudley Perkins

I worked with Norwalk Brew House to bring poetry to beer cans.

Norwalk Brew House is an independent Mexican-American owned beer company, founded by Ray Ricky Rivera. Their motto says it plain: “Make Good Beer, Do Good Things.” My poetry is featured on the cans — words you read while you drink.

Agua de Oro is a Mexican lager brewed in collaboration with Brenda Villa, with profits going to the Brenda Villa Foundation. The Don Clemente Lotería collection is the first-ever beer collaboration for the iconic Lotería brand — and La Mano, card 21, carries my poem on the can.

Poetry on the can Use your hand to do the work that turns the world right side up.

La Mano / Hover or tap to turn the can

Showing: the La Mano can. Activate to turn the tile and read the poem.

El Mundo Dedicated to that boulder
His shoulder
Our soldier
Lover
Dad uncle cousin
Brother
Pour / vida.

El Mundo / Card 37 · Hover or tap to turn the can

Showing: the El Mundo can. Activate to turn the tile and read the poem.

Carlos, gold medal

Agua de Oro / Brenda Villa gold medal activation · Hover or tap to turn the can

Showing: the Agua de Oro can. Activate to turn the tile and see the gold medal photo.

Make Good Beer · Do Good Things

I don't know if you heard, but I got paid to go to China to eat food and write about it. That gave birth to an idea. Then my job was to produce food travel and food TV. So then I got the bright idea to start a food tour company — and this is how it goes. What kicked off in 2017 and ran until 2019 is back — with a tasty vengeance.

Now relaunching · 2.5-hour walking food tours · $125 per person