San Rafael · United States
Equator Coffees
Equator Coffees roasts in San Rafael, California.
Since 1995 · Helen Russell, Brooke McDonnell
Overview
Equator was founded in 1995 by life and business partners Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell, who started roasting in a Marin County garage after running two espresso carts in San Francisco. In 2011 it became the first U.S. coffee roaster certified as a B Corporation, and in 2016 it won the Obama administration's National Small Business of the Year award.
Known for
- First U.S. coffee roaster certified as a B Corporation (2011)
- Women-owned and LGBTQ-owned, founded 1995 in Marin County
- Co-owns Finca Sophia in Volcán, Panama with Willem Boot — multiple Best of Panama wins
- Long-standing partnership with Thomas Keller restaurants (French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon Bakery)
- Macro Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine
Why it matters
An early third-wave pioneer that built scaled specialty out of social-responsibility values rather than retrofitting them — and demonstrated that B Corp principles, Fair Trade purchasing, and LGBTQ ownership are compatible with selling 1M+ pounds a year through wholesale partners like Google, LinkedIn, and the French Laundry.
Production
- roaster machine
- Loring Smart Roaster
- roastery location
- 5,500 sq ft facility in Marin County, California
Café
This roaster operates a café.
Recognitions
- First U.S. coffee roaster certified B Corporation (2011)
- Macro Roaster of the Year, Roast Magazine
- Obama administration National Small Business of the Year (2016)