Business Description

Equator Coffees is a Bay Area-founded, B Corp Certified specialty coffee roaster with twelve neighborhood cafes, serving exceptional, sustainably sourced coffee in our own spaces and beyond.

Our Story

Drinking Good Coffee Leads to Good Things

In 1995, Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell, partners in life and business—coffee obsessed and passionate about growing something of their own—set out to do something bold: build a coffee company rooted in quality, sustainability, and social responsibility.

Helen and Brooke started roasting coffee in a garage in Marin, working closely with Northern California restaurants, cafes, and businesses that shared their belief that coffee could be better. Their journey evolved as they connected with producers and built relationships around the world to source exceptional coffee.

Practices that have now become commonplace for people and planet-aware businesses were second nature to Helen and Brooke in the 90s. Equator helped pioneer the direct trade model, becoming an early adopter of Fair Trade certification in 1999. Then, in 2011, Equator became the first Certified B Corporation coffee roaster in California, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to blending quality with positive social and environmental impact.

Thirty years later, Equator Coffees has evolved from a humble roasting operation into a recognized leader in the coffee industry with award-winning coffees, cafes across California, and a thriving wholesale program serving quality-obsessed top chefs and businesses from coast to coast. But at its heart, Equator has never wavered on what matters: exceptional coffee, sourced with care and shared with intention.

Our Values

Good Coffee

Equator is proud to source coffee from over 50 producers and co-ops in 20 countries. Dozens of these relationships span many years, built on trust and shared values.

For us, great coffee goes beyond the cup—it starts with the land, the producers, and the communities that nurture it. Innovation is crucial to making specialty coffee sustainable and accessible.

For Equator, that means everything from sourcing from a new generation of producers in Thailand, to establishing a farm in Panama sitting at an elevation previously un-farmable, to bringing to market the first annual harvest of Regenerative Organic Certified® coffee ever commercially available.

Kind People

At Equator, our people are our reason for being and are the heart and soul of the organization. Our team is made up of passionate individuals who bring to life our values and culture of kindness.

From the coffee team’s trips to origin to evaluate sustainable and equitable sourcing practices, to the care of our skilled roastery and customer service teams, to the baristas who craft delicious drinks and memorable experiences day in and day out—none of our work is possible without our people.

Our 2024 Impact Report

Equator was founded on the idea that what we do and how we do it matters. It’s been co-founders Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell’s life work and passion to apply that philosophy to coffee, to provide greater transparency into the coffee production process, as well as establish more equitable and sustainable practices in support of a better international coffee economy.

As a B Corp certified organization, we remain dedicated to continuous improvement and accountability, striving to set the standard for excellence within our industry. We choose to publish our annual impact report as a check-in with our community, and as a dialogue to share what we’re doing, what’s working, and where we hope to improve.

Read the Report