Quiana DeBerry, Crystal Graham, and Toni Dale are the founders of On The Go Jo, a coffee catering company serving events big and small across the Chicago area. In late 2019 we interviewed these foundersย in what turned out to be one of the most popular stories of the year, with huge social reach.
Since then, the team has released a number of products available onlineโincluding a coffee club subscription, scratch-made syrups, and woman produced and women roasted coffeeโand undergone an eye-catching bag redesign, for which they nabbed a 2020ย Sprudgie Award nomination.
The new product line and design work go hand in hand, and we simply had to learn more. Sprudge caught up with Crystal Graham over email to dive a little deeper into the growing brand On The Go Jo.
Tell us about your new product line!
The On The Go Jo retail line of coffee products include women produced and women roasted coffee, loose-leaf teas, hand-crafted simple syrups, speciality boxes, and our coffee club subscriptions. Customers can now enjoy an elevated cafe experience in the comfort of their home from On The Go Jo.
Who designed the packaging?
Brandin Graham of The Graham Agency.
What were the inspirations for the design?ย
We are inspired by the many women farmers and women in coffee. Our goal is to empower women throughout the entire supply chain so it was important to us that our bag highlighted and embodied our mission while also encompassing the experiential spirit of our brand. I worked hand and hand with our designer, Brandin Graham, to convey our brand messaging and mission, and he truly captured our vision with his creative design.
We wanted to invoke a lasting impression with the initial packaging rollout to really capture our clients’ attention and bring them into our world and feel empowered every time they look at our bag. With the coffee industry seemingly male-dominated, our desire is to use our platform and brand voice to bridge the gender gaps within the industry; which is why our line is produced, roasted and owned by women.
What kind of coffee will your company offer?
We have launched with two incredible single-origin specialty coffees from Brazil and Burundi. Our coffee from Brazil has a creamy texture and exudes notes of toasted pecan and decadent caramel while our Burundi has a fragrant aroma of citrus, baked apple, and fig that will captivate your senses.
Burundi:ย Angรจle Ciza, whose work has uplifted thousands of farmers, continues to be a source of inspiration, especially for women. Amazingly, 80% of the farms are owned or managed by women.
From offering scholarship programs to pay for school fees for young girls to partnering with buyers to build sustainability programs for farmers, Ciza is constantly seeking new opportunities to grow her business in order to benefit Burundi coffee growers.
โIf you want to develop Burundi, you develop the womenโ – Angรจle Ciza [wc_row] [wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”]
[/wc_column]
[wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]
[/wc_column]
[/wc_row]
Brazil:ย Mariana Lima Veloso was born in Carmo do Paranaรญba. She spent much of her childhood on the farm with her father, especially on weekends and holidays. She moved to Belo Horizonte at a young age and studied here until she graduated with a degree in Foreign Trade, a degree that was designed to work with coffee exports. Mariana graduated in 2002 and since then she has entered the world of coffee. Her farmโs region is famous for the โin your faceโ coffee bean that serves as a spark in the morning and pushes you through your day.
When and where will your coffee be available?ย
Our coffee and tea line launched on 11/24/2020. Products can be purchased at www.onthegojo.coffee and Sprudge readers will receive a special discount of 10% off the first month of our coffee (monthly coffee subscription $17 a month) using code Sprudge. [wc_row] [wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”]
[/wc_column]
[wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]
[/wc_column]
[/wc_row]
Tell us about your vision for the future of On The Go Jo.
Our vision goes Beyond The Brew. On The Go Jo promises to donate a portion of proceeds to various community initiatives supporting women both globally and locally. We start in our own backyard (the south side of Chicago) by donating to Deborahโs Place. This organization provides services to women battling homelessness in Chicago.
Our goal is to inspire and empower women from bean (coffee farmers, roasters, etc) to cup (end consumer) in everything that we do. By supporting women coffee producers, we help to cultivate a better future for women in coffee through recognition, increased income, and enact positive change in their communities.
We are so excited to grow our brand and bring our experience into your homes, stores, and cafes nationwide!
Thank you!
We are truly grateful to the Sprudge team and readers for all of your continued support!!
Find out more at On The Jo Go’s official website.
Zachary Carlsen is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read moreย Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge.ย
Photos courtesy On The Jo Go /ย Feather Lite Studios.
