Inspired Coffee: Lake Geneva coffee shop serves up inclusivity & purpose

Last weekend when we visited Lake Geneva, we stumbled upon a coffee shop called Inspired.


When walking past, we were greeted by two workers who were giving out free samples. One asked if I knew what Inspired was and proceeded to tell me how Inspire employs people with disabilities.

The following day, I got the opportunity to visit Inspired again and sit down with two of their employees, Sophie and Luke, to talk with them about what they do at Inspire and how much they love working there.

“I love to just work with my coworkers, have fun, just help the trainees out, and just come into work every day, enjoying work, helping wherever they need help… I’m there to help and all the trainees look up to me, so I feel like I’m doing everyone proud… I just love it here and I really enjoy working!”

Sophie

The purpose & mission of Inspired is to employ amazing people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities and give them a place where they are celebrated, job trained, coached, and then, over time, can be placed into a fully integrated work setting. Inspire empowers them to live with greater purpose and achieve their individual best in a thriving environment.

“We believe in learning from and celebrating people who experience life differently. Coffee is our connection. Helping people thrive is our purpose.”

Inspired

As the mother of a child with a developmental disability, it made my heart so happy to see how excited each one of the employees was to be working there and that they were able to find such an awesome opportunity to learn and grow.

In addition, Inspired is also home to four unique coffee blends that all embrace or support the local community in some way. The shop’s signature namesake blend “Inspired Roast” was created by Boxed and Burlap Coffee and Roastery and Inspired is the only shop in the area that carries it.

Inspired is located on Main St. in downtown Lake Geneva, WI. They have a full drink menu that currently features their lemonade refreshers for the summer– I got the Wildberry Hibiscus and it was delicious! Every person I met at Inspired was kind and welcoming– I’m so honored that I was able to meet and talk with so many lovely people.


Thank you to Inspired for welcoming me into you community!

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1 Comment

  1. Boonie
    June 26, 2021 / 11:22 am

    AWESOME column , wish more people would slow down and smell the COFFEE per say !! I’m sure that U listening and caring about there mission INSPIRED them. We have hired people with disabilities from time to time the fast pace and customers need for everything immediately and just overall lack of patience and kindness makes our environment not the best fit. Currently we have a deaf boy working for us and a mother with son with disabilities messaged me after her son graduated last month and I told her I would find spot for him but she never followed up with me so hopefully found a better fit. U and Tom are such WONDERFUL PEOPLE and this column is an example of that !! Currently missing in our WORLD we live in is KINDNESS , CARING for each other and unfortunately what effects my business daily WORK ETHIC and obviously many other things but these we as a SOCIETY can EASILY FIX , LOVE YOUR WRITINGS , BEST WISHES TO U and YOUR LOVED ONES !!

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