EP 18 [Summer Spotlight] Unlikely Entrepreneur: How Kitti Murray Built a Nationally Recognized Nonprofit with Earned Revenue

What does it take for a self-described "unlikely entrepreneur", who doesn't love spreadsheets but is great with people, to build a nationally recognized nonprofit? In this Force Multiplier episode, Tanja Horan sits down with Kitti Murray, founder of Refuge Coffee Co., as she shares her path from freelance writer to nonprofit founder. Thirteen years ago, Kitti and her late husband, Bill, moved to Clarkston, Georgia, referred to as the most diverse square mile in the country.  They got to know their neighbors before ever building an organization. Those relationships led to Refuge Coffee, a nonprofit creating competitive-wage jobs, job training, and true community for her refugee neighbors through coffee. Refuge Coffee has been featured on CNN, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, NPR's The Salt, Food & Wine magazine, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Kitti has shared Refuge's story at Creative Mornings, Q Commons, Leadercast Women, Google Atlanta, the Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator Conference, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Through stories from Refuge's first years, including one coffee truck, a parking lot, and a sunflower painted on asphalt, Kitti shares how she built a sustainable earned-revenue model, why she asked her network for wisdom a full year before she ever asked for money, and how the organization embraces excellence. If you're founding a nonprofit, balancing mission with earned revenue, or building a culture where people can do excellent work, this episode offers candid and practical insights. Build the organization your impact demands. By being the business you are. Key Takeaways      Ask for wisdom before asking for money from trusted business leaders.        Passion is necessary but it isn't a revenue model.       Sustainability has to be built deliberately, one stage at a time.       A grant that doesn't fit your team's capacity or genuine interest costs more than the money is worth. About Kitti Murray Kitti Murray and her late husband, Bill, moved 13 years ago to a refugee community on the edge of Atlanta that has been called the most diverse square mile in the country. They considered this the most intense and inviting neighborhood in their experience, and it taught them to dream big and love even bigger. One expression of that love has been Refuge Coffee Co., a non-profit Kitti founded as a way to join hands with neighbors near and far to create opportunity and true refuge through coffee and community service. Refuge Coffee's flagship shop is in Clarkston, Georgia, with shops in the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown and in historic downtown Norcross. Refuge has been featured on CNN, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Senator Bill Bradley's radio show, American Voices, Food & Wine magazine, NPR's The Salt, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Kitti has spoken about Refuge at Creative Mornings, the Q Commons, Leadercast Women, Google Atlanta, the Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator Conference, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, and at other venues where people come to hear stories about justice and mercy. Connect with Kitti: www.refugecoffeeco.com Instagram: @refugecoffeeco About Refuge Coffee Co. Refuge Coffee Co. is a nonprofit coffee company with a mission to offer competitive-wage, full-time jobs, job training, and mentorship for refugee neighbors; create safe, welcoming, agendaless spaces for the world to gather and enjoy conversation and coffee; and tell a more beautiful, accurate refugee story to Atlanta and beyond. Organization Website: www.refugecoffeeco.com Websites and Social Company Website: www.tacosa360.com Impact Catapult: www.impactcatapult.com YouTube: youtube.com/@Tacosa360 Connect with Tanja LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tanjahoran Topics nonprofit earned revenue, social enterprise coffee shop, nonprofit grant strategy, mission-driven leadership, Make Nonprofits ProfitableTM