We had the good fortune of connecting with Davina Ismail and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Davina, how does your business help the community?
The community has always been at the core of our business however, the pandemic changed how we serve the communities that we are a part of. When we started this business, the goal was to have a café where people can go to sit down and get to know others in the community. Even our décor was set up in a way that promotes conversation with long tables so that people can sit together. The pandemic forced our shop to close to the public however, we worked really hard to direct our customers to our website. We knew that we wanted to do more for those who were continuing to serve our community during quarantine. We decided to donate coffee to first responders, essential healthcare workers, and other organizations that were continuing to keep our communities going. We got our customers involved too. For every two bags of coffee bought, we donated one to community heroes.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We started our business out of a love for tea and coffee. We believe that our love of coffee and tea is at a similar level to most of those within our community. We knew that people are looking for healthier, cleaner options for the things they love just as we are. Our first exposure to the public was through farmers’ markets in our neighborhood during fall 2019. We got to chat with people and talk to them about our products, who we are, and how being a military family helped put a lot into perspective. This process allowed us to move forward and take the business to the next level of opening up a small café in January 2020. Given the pandemic, we had to close the café but grew our online presence and began our programs to give back to the community. We were lucky enough to grow throughout the pandemic and we know that our customers and community played a significant role in that growth. We learned quickly that business is not static and is ever-changing. At times it can feel like you never graduate from the start-up phase, but I think if you are always discovering new elements of your business and how to connect with people, then you will be successful.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Outside of the INI Sips team, myself, and my husband Gulaid, there are three women that come to mind. Their relationships have given me strength, friendship, and guidance during the journey of entrepreneurship. Anya Reed of “Coaching with Yaya” & “Better Than Fries” is a longtime friend of over 20 years and has been an amazing sounding board to collaborate and bounce ideas and strategies with. Charmaria Gurley of Gurley All Freight & Moxxi Body Co., has been a huge inspiration with her relentless ability to just go for what she wants including starting, launching a successful second business during a pandemic. Last, but not least, Mapela Motshabi of Fitvitae, she has shown me the importance of balancing and prioritizing family and business and how to be successful in both areas.

Website: https://inisips.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ini_sips

Facebook: https://facebook.com/inisips

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/INISips/_shop/

Image Credits
Isaac Rafael (Isaac Rafael Films)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.