Founding Partner + Guiding Member

Dogwood Coffee Co. has been roasting, distributing, and brewing coffee since 2010. With three cafes located across the Twin Cities (St. Paul, E. Lake St., and Northeast Minneapolis), and wholesale partners nationwide, Dogwood’s mission of making coffee for others is its primary guidance. The Academy is possible because of the collective and collaborative effort of the Dogwood community. Dogwood lends its love for hospitality, its authenticity, thoughtfulness, and coffee knowledge to Sweet Ren.

Founding Partner + Guiding Member

The Get Down Coffee Co. opened its first retail coffee bar in November of 2021 in the Camdentown neighborhood of north Minneapolis. The Get Down also roasts and distributes coffee to numerous wholesale partners including retailers, coffee shops, restaurants, caterers, and businesses nationwide. Founder, Houston White’s vision of cultural collision guides not only The Get Down, but the Academy as well. The Get Down lends its vision, heart, swagger, and wisdom to Sweet Ren.

Program Partner

Since 1993, Cafe Imports has sought out, tasted, studied, experimented with, developed, supported, and showcased the finest green coffees and the best producers in the world, and believes that the process of improving coffee quality across the board starts with a holistic approach to sourcing that includes building reliable relationships and becoming true partners with the other actors on the supply chain.

Program Partner

Mill City Roasters is a Minneapolis-based manufacturer of specialty coffee roasting equipment and a provider of professional coffee roasting education. Founded in 2013 with the goal of making coffee roasting more accessible, they offer a wide range of electric and gas roasters, along with loaders and other tools, all with a focus on quality, safety, and precision control for small businesses. In addition to their innovative machinery, they are known for their North American-leading education program and global customer support from their Minnesota headquarters.

Program Partner

Ghost Town Oats is a founder-led and community-owned brand created by Michelle R. Johnson-Strickland—award-winning barista, coffee culture critic, and the first Black woman to compete at the United States Barista Championship. Ghost Town was formed not to compete with what already existed, but to create something new: oat milk that was finally, intentionally made for the people who'd always deserved it most.

Program Partner

As a family business with long-held ties to the land, Autumnwood Farm is fully invested in the animals, the land, and everything the land produces. Sustainability is a daily practice everywhere it can be implemented. From the cows replenishing the earth with manure themselves, to keeping plastic milk bottles out of our landfill, we do our absolute best to keep our earth sustainable for the generations to come.

Program Partner

FairWave Coffee Collective is a Kansas City-based, premium coffee partnership founded in 2020 that acquires and supports independent, local, high-quality roasting companies. It operates a "collective" model, allowing brands like Spyhouse Coffee Roasters, Up Coffee, and Folly Coffee to maintain their local identities while sharing resources for growth, sourcing, and operations.

Program Partner

Founded to bridge the gap in the industry for better service and education, Impossible Coffee focuses on elevating the end-product for cafes. A Minnesota-based company founded in 2020 by Tyler Liedman, they specialize in commercial espresso machine sales, repair, and education. Impossible Coffee also provides Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) certified training programs for baristas, covering brewing fundamentals and advanced latte art.

Program Partner

In 2016, Henry Schwartz closed New York City's last dairy, Elmhurst. ...Until 2017 when Elmhurst reappeared as, of all things, an innovative plant milk company. How could a committed dairyman like Henry make this shocking change? Henry could see the future of "milk" – and the possibility of evolving into a non-dairy company. But what did he know about plant milks? Then fate intervened. Around this time, Henry had a chance meeting with a famous plant food scientist, Dr. Cheryl Mitchell, who just so happened to be looking for a partner to help bring her revolutionary HydroRelease™ milling process to market. Using just water, HydroRelease separates the natural components of a grain, nut, or seed before reassembling them as a smooth, creamy beverage. The original ingredient's nutrition is maintained, and no gums or emulsifiers are needed to hold the product together.

Program Partner

SK Coffee is a Twin Cities-based, specialty coffee roaster and retailer that focuses on direct-trade, single-origin micro-lots. With retail locations in Vandalia Tower, Uptown, and downtown Minneapolis, SK was founded on the principles of education, sociology, and philosophy, aiming to provide a high-quality, intentional coffee experience.