Shana Tate currently works as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Brown Skin Coffee. The first location for the business was in Brownsburg before a suite opened up for another location in Gary.
However, prior to Brown Skin Coffee being founded in 2019, Tate did not have a coffee concept on her radar.
“At first, we were doing our mobile cigar lounge,” Tate said. “Then one day, a gentleman asked me if we had any coffee for him to have with his cigar instead of bourbon. That’s where I was introduced to single origin coffees. I went back home, did my research and found out that there was a story to tell with each one.”
Born in Chicago, Tate was raised with an entrepreneurial spirit by her aunt and uncle. She later moved to Gary, graduating from Lew Wallace High School before transitioning to Jackson State University. When the opportunity presented itself to have a location where she grew up, Tate didn’t hesitate. She’s always been open to change and expansion for the business.
“The overall goal of our business is to provide a space for people of all cultures to be able to come in and experience different coffees,” Tate said. “We change our coffees every week. One week, we may be in Kenya; the next week, we might be in Guatemala. We try to make sure that the coffee tells the cultural story of the farmer’s in its country of origin.”
Another way Brown Skin Coffee has helped combine different cultures is through live music performances in the shop every Wednesday.
“One day, we had a band in Valparaiso and another from Chicago playing live jazz together,” said Tate. “It was such a cool experience to see two different groups come together like that.”
The business is not done branching out yet. In September, a third location will be opening in Nashville, Tennessee. This will be the first location outside of Indiana.
Tate has 21 years of total experience in human resources. However, she didn’t quite envision herself being the CEO of any business, let alone one that is self-run.
“It was always something that I wanted to participate in but never thought would happen because we didn’t have a brick and mortar at the time,” Tate said. “I started out with my smart cars. I purchased a couple and turned the back of each one into a coffee shop. I thought it was a good idea because they’re about the same size as a hotdog cart.”
This experience with Brown Skin Coffee has greatly shaped the lives of both Tate and the community over the past few years.
“It’s been amazing,” Tate said. “I’m still in awe because I couldn’t believe this would become as big as it has. I was still learning how to roast and sell the coffee when we were mobile. I had no idea the impact that it would have in our community either.”
Today, Tate is married and has two boys. She says that Brown Skin Coffee has been in communication with other stores in an effort to expand their retail.