Hugo Coffee Roasters sells its fair trade, organic coffee nationwide via its e-store and donates profits to dog rescue. Its owner was recently chosen from one thousand applicants for the Tory Burch “50 Women Entrepreneurs” Fellowship.
Claudia McMullin left her job as a Wall Street Lawyer to merge her two loves: good coffee and dogs. Her company, Hugo Coffee Roasters, donates profits from its fair-trade, organic coffee to support dog rescue efforts. Claudia was recently chosen from 1,000 applicants for the Tory Burch Foundation’s 50 Women Entrepreneur’s Fellows Program.
In its seventh year, the program is providing education, mentorship, and grants to female entrepreneurs, most of whom are in their first five years of business ownership. The program takes into account that half of all small businesses fail in their first five years and that women founders are less likely than their male counterparts to surpass the $1 million revenue mark. The program, which is supported by companies such as PayPal, Shiseido, Fossil, and American Express, aims to help women overcome these challenges.
As one of the 2021 fellows, Claudia will receive a $5,000 education grant to further the development of her Hugo Coffee Roasters e-store, which is named after her own rescue dog. It offers small batch roasts with dog-themed names (“Bonafido Dark Roast,” “Roll Over Breakfast Blends”) as well as cold brews and single cup brew packs, which provide barista-level coffee in an instant. Claudia will also receive access to a premier online community of some of the country’s most up-and-coming female founders.
The program previously included a four-day workshop in Burch’s New York office but has pivoted to virtual learning and mentorship in light of the pandemic. Claudia joined Burch and the other 2021 fellows online for a virtual kickoff meeting. Burch said that when she started her company 17 years ago, her master plan was “to start a global fashion company so I could start a foundation for women. To see it come to fruition like this, to see this beauty on my screen and hearing you speak is so inspiring.”
The fellows come from 18 states and Washington D.C. and range from ages 24 to 60. They specialize in retail, apparel, food/beverage, technology, and construction.
Claudia said that her dedication to sustainability helped her earn a spot in this year’s fellowship. “Our mission lines up with the values of the Tory Burch Foundation. Our coffee is ethically and sustainably-sourced, and we are also helping create a more sustainable future in the way that we donate profits from our coffee to help support animal rescue efforts,” said Claudia.
To date, Hugo has contributed over $32,000 to dog adoption efforts, spay and neuter operations, vaccines, and shelters.
“There are 5 to 7 million companion animals entering shelters every year and roughly 3 million dogs and cats being euthanized each year. Every cup of Hugo coffee helps save one more abused or neglected animal. It’s a mission I’m very passionate about.”
To learn more about Claudia’s journey as an entrepreneur or about Hugo Coffee Roasters and its effort to save animals through delicious coffee, visit www.hugo.coffee.
About Hugo Coffee Roasters
Hugo Coffee Roasters is an animal-friendly coffee shop that offers high-quality coffee. They roast their own coffee and provide coffee beans bulk wholesale. Their vision is to be the go-to coffee for animal lovers nationwide.