Ekowah Values

Ekowah means “friend” in the Osage language and it is a word that goes to the root of our values as a company: we believe that business should be conducted with the respect and goodwill of friendship at every level. Our identity reflects this.

Ethical

PEOPLE

By the time a bag of Ekowah Coffee reaches your hands, many people have collaborated to make sure that you are receiving a quality and delicious product. We want to treat every single one of those people with dignity and equity, starting with fair compensation. This means the farmers who grow the beans, the graphic designer who made the label, the part-time help who packed the bags, and anyone else we are fortunate enough to collaborate with.

LAND

From green bean to brown bag, we have a duty to the earth and to each other to be conscious of our impact on the environment and minimize our footprint as much as possible. This means investing in organic beans, using energy-saving bean roasting processes, and committing to use biodegradable, recyclable, or recycled materials when possible in our packaging.

Indigenous

VOICE

Ekowah coffee began as a dream of an Osage Nation family and exists today because of the support provided by the Native community. As Native American entrepreneurs, we want to represent our people well and be a strong and positive voice for Native issues.

COLLABORATION

The wealth of talent and creativity that exists in the indigenous community is astounding, and we have only just scratched the surface of it. We are eager to work closely with other indigenous entrepreneurs, makers, creatives, and hustlers to grow Ekowah Coffee and support the community.

Generous

PROFITS

As a beneficiary of a Running Strong Dreamstarter Grant, Ekowah Coffee would not exist without the generosity and support of our Native community. We want to take every opportunity to pay that forward: a portion of profits from each bag of coffee sold is passed directly to Native non-profits and programs.

PARTICIPATION

Part of the dream of Ekowah Coffee is to become an employer in our tribal community and provide quality, living-wage jobs. We also provide reduced-cost and free bags of coffee to Native non-profit events and fundraisers.