Meet Barbara Pavez

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Barbara Pavez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Barbara below.

Hi Barbara, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.

I developed my ability to take risks early in life. I’ve always been open to change and focused on constant growth. I attended 13 different schools and moved to another country, which taught me adaptability and confidence. If I could handle those changes, I trust myself to take on new risks.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I run Karun Cafe, a specialty coffee trailer with a South American touch. It’s a small wooden house on wheels that makes a stop in your day to offer thoughtfully crafted coffee, matcha, and handmade empanadas. We travel all around Denver and the surrounding areas, meeting people where they are and creating moments of pause and connection. It has been an incredibly fun and challenging journey, and one that continues to inspire me every day.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been resilience, adaptability, and community awareness. Running a mobile business comes with constant challenges—weather, logistics, long hours—so resilience has been essential to keep going even when things don’t go as planned. Adaptability has allowed me to pivot, learn on the fly, and adjust to new locations, audiences, and opportunities. And finally, understanding and valuing community has shaped everything I do, from the way we serve customers to the way the brand shows up in different neighborhoods.
For those early in their journey, my advice would be to stay patient with yourself and embrace the learning process. Don’t be afraid to start small, ask questions, and make mistakes—they’re some of the best teachers. Surround yourself with people who support and challenge you, stay open to feedback, and remember that consistency over time matters more than perfection.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

We’re always open to new ideas, advice, and opportunities to collaborate.
Right now, we’re especially interested in finding a fixed place to operate during the weekdays. On weekends, we’re usually at events, but during the week we’d love to build a more consistent home base where we can connect with a regular community.
If you have a parking lot, an indoor space, or any location where a partnership could make sense, we’d love to grab a coffee and talk it through. And if you’re organizing events and think Karun Cafe could be a good fit, we’d love to be part of it and help create a great experience together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.karuncafe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karuncafe

Image Credits

Some photos from Abner Rivera @shotbyabner