Meet Elisa Berry

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elisa Berry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Elisa, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

Honestly, it comes from a deep love for people.
I’ve seen over and over that people want to be seen and loved — really seen. And that truth gives me hope every single day.

My faith roots me in that. It reminds me that light always finds its way through, even in the quiet or ordinary moments. So much of what we do at Ember comes from that same belief — that goodness can grow anywhere, that care still matters, and that the smallest gestures have power.

When I look at the world, I don’t just see what’s broken.
I see all the people trying.
That’s where my optimism lives.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

At Ember Coffee, we roast coffee for people who want to live with intention.
We’re a women-led, Minnesota-based roastery, and we specialize in air-roasted, low-acid, mold-free coffee. But really, what we do is create space for people to breathe — to start their mornings grounded instead of rushed.

Coffee has this quiet way of meeting people where they are. For me, the most exciting part is watching it become more than caffeine — it’s belonging in a cup. Every roast, every batch, every shipment is done with care because someone out there is waiting for that moment. That first sip where they feel like themselves again.

What makes Ember special is that it’s not about trends or hype. It’s about rhythm.
We roast with intention, we serve with transparency, and we build community through small, human gestures — like a handwritten note in your order or a conversation at our coffee bar that lasts just a little longer than expected.

We’ve grown a lot lately, but our heart hasn’t changed. We recently expanded our roasting operations and introduced new single-origin offerings — all ethically sourced and air-roasted here in Minnesota. We’re also launching a Seasonal Subscription Box that highlights limited micro-lots and tells the story behind each bean — not in flashy marketing terms, but through the people who grow, roast, and drink it.

At the end of the day, Ember Coffee exists to remind people there’s beauty in the mundane, warmth in the details, and meaning in the pause between sips.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, what were the three most impactful qualities or skills in your journey? What advice would you give to others just starting out?

If I had to narrow it down, I’d say faith, curiosity, and perseverance have shaped everything.

Faith — not just in the spiritual sense (though that’s my foundation), but faith in people and in the slow work of building something that matters. There were plenty of seasons where the outcome wasn’t clear — where logic said to quit — but faith gave me the courage to stay rooted when things felt uncertain.

Curiosity has kept Ember alive and evolving. I’ve always asked why — why coffee tastes the way it does, why people connect over it, why small details make such a big difference. Staying curious keeps the work human. It helps you listen before you assume, and that changes everything — in business and in life.

And then there’s perseverance — the willingness to keep showing up when the excitement wears off. Running a small, values-driven business means carrying both the beauty and the burden. Some days are spreadsheets and delivery runs, others are community and creation. You need the grit to hold both.

For anyone just starting out, my advice is this:
Stay faithful to what feels true to you, even when it’s slow.
Stay curious enough to keep learning, even when you think you’ve figured it out.
And don’t underestimate the quiet power of perseverance — the kind that keeps you moving when no one’s clapping yet.

Small steps, done with care, create momentum that lasts.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Alchemy by Rory Sutherland changed the way I think about business — and honestly, about people.

It reminded me that not everything valuable has to make perfect sense on paper. Sometimes the most powerful ideas are the ones that feel a little illogical but deeply human. Rory calls it “psycho-logic” — the idea that emotion, perception, and context often matter more than reason. That hit home for me, because Ember Coffee has always been built around feeling — the calm of morning light, the exhale of the first sip, the sense of belonging that can’t be measured in data points.

One of my favorite takeaways from Alchemy is that context creates magic. The same cup of coffee tastes different depending on the space, the company, the moment. That’s why we focus so much on the experience around the coffee — the design, the tone, the care in the details. It’s never just about the product; it’s about how people feel when they’re with it.

The other big lesson is that logic can kill wonder if you let it. In business, it’s easy to get caught up in efficiency and metrics. But sometimes the most meaningful things — like a handwritten note in an order, or a slower, more intentional roast — are the ones that don’t scale perfectly but create lasting connection.

Alchemy gave me permission to lean into that:
To choose meaning over marketing,
Humanity over perfection,
And wonder over “what makes sense.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://embercoffee.co
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/embercoffeeco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/embercoffeeco

Image Credits

Juniper Film (@juniper_filmmn)