David shares how his career evolved from operating a small business alongside nonprofit work to acquiring La Terza Coffee and building a business where commercial growth and social impact reinforce one another.
The conversation explores the realities of the global coffee industry, including exploitative labor practices, generational poverty, and the role direct trade relationships can play in creating a more equitable system.
David also discusses the ideas
behind his books,
Radical Business and
Why We Buy, Why It Matters, and offers a practical framework for treating employees, suppliers, customers, competitors, communities, and the environment with dignity.
In This Episode
David and Grant discuss:
- David’s early career working simultaneously in business and the nonprofit sector
- Why he acquired La Terza Coffee
- How social impact became embedded in La Terza’s business model
- The labor and economic challenges within the global coffee supply chain
- What direct trade means and how it differs from traditional commodity sourcing
- La Terza’s long term relationship with coffee producer Katia Duke in Honduras
- How improving coffee quality can increase income for producers
- Why Katia used increased revenue to build a school in her community
- The limitations of certifications such as fair trade and organic labels
- Why direct relationships can sometimes provide more transparency than certification
- How businesses can measure their impact across multiple stakeholder groups
- Why profitability is necessary for a sustainable social enterprise
- The role of healthy competition in improving an entire industry
- How consumers can use everyday purchases to support better business practices
- The difference between healthy consumption and overconsumption
- Why David believes consumerism reflects humanity’s interconnectedness
- How anger can reveal the problems people are called to address
- David’s vision for strengthening coffee shops and other community gathering spaces
About David Gaines
David Gaines is an entrepreneur, author, and the owner of La Terza Coffee.
Before joining La Terza, David spent approximately 15 years operating a small business while also working within the nonprofit sector.
He initially created the business to provide financial independence while pursuing mission driven work, but eventually realized that dividing his time between two organizations limited both his income and his potential impact.
David later acquired La Terza Coffee from a college friend who had founded the company in the early 2000s. The opportunity allowed David to combine his interest in business strategy with a company that already had social responsibility embedded in its sourcing model.
His work with La Terza led him deeper into conscious capitalism and social enterprise. He became involved with the Social Enterprise Alliance, serving as a local chapter leader and later as a national chairperson.
Through his books and business leadership, David explores how companies and consumers can create meaningful change by recognizing the humanity of every person involved in an economic transaction.
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