The anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce at Espresso Yourself Book Café, 249 E. High St., Pottstown, is Apr. 18 at 4:30 PM.

Guests are invited to stop by and help entrepreneurship class students from The Hill School celebrate the opening of this experiential venture led by their teacher, Twila Fisher, executive director of Hobart’s Run.

Funding for this project came from multiple streams, most notably a gift from a Hill School alumnus who co-founded the entrepreneurship class with Fisher in 2019 and who continues to mentor its students.

A Pro-Environmental Business Model

While the coffee shop will not be staffed entirely by the students, it was their collective vision and classwork that got it going.

They chose the name. And its operating model as a zero-waste business.

That environmental stance is threaded not only in the throughout the beverage and food service but also the onsite perks that percolate alongside them:

• A used-book stand for borrowing and browsing
• Sale of environmentally sourced bulk products like shampoo
• An opportunity to purchase seeds for planting flowers and vegetables in home gardens
• Shared community spaces that can be repurposed for a variety of uses by the public, cutting down on the need for individually outfitted sites

After the Apr. 18 grand opening, the Espresso Yourself hours of operation will Mon.–Sat., 10AM to 4 PM.

Makerspace

Hoda Ehsan, chair of the Engineering Department at The Hill School, is working with Hobart’s Run to establish a makerspace that will facilitate creative and potentially income-producing ventures for borough residents by providing training on equipment such as a:

• Cricut machine, a computer-controlled cutting machine used for artistic purposes
• 3-D printer
• Mug press machine, which puts imagery on ceramic drinkware
• CNC milling machine, a shop tool used in woodworking

She explained that the Cricut and other available will allow participants — especially young parents — to create customized t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and other salable items.

To make this training more accessible to parents, she also plans to provide engagement for their children while they gain facility with the equipment. Kids ages 4–10 will benefit from STEM-based educational programming, concurrent with the makerspace workshop sessions.

The first makerspace event will be held April 15 from 2–4 PM.

Capacity for this free introductory session is limited to 10 people and interested residents should sign up in advance. Espresso Yourself will be open during this time as well.

Office Tenants

The High Street space will also be used for office purposes for two Pottstown nonprofits: Be ReZilient: Healing through the Arts and the STRIVE Initiative.

Be ReZilient is a Pottstown mental health resource that builds wellness through creative and sensory engagement. It offers life coaching “infused with art and aromatherapy … to help manage behaviors, process feelings, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase self-esteem.”

STRIVE provides mentorship opportunities to Pottstown youths.

Ribbon-Cutting Attendees

Also present for the Apr. 18 ribbon-cutting will be:

• Hoda Ehsan, chair of the Engineering Department at The Hill School
• Denise Williams, founder of Be ReZilient
• David Charles, STRIVE executive director

Members of the community, especially caffeine fans, are invited as well.

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Anyone unfamiliar with a Cricut, available for training at Espresso Yourself café in Pottstown, might appreciate this demo of what it can do.