I grew up in Boston as the oldest of five kids. My parents were very inspiring and encouraged me to seek out new experiences and opportunities. We didn’t have a lot of resources, which meant getting whatever kind of job was available. So I ended up working as a cook, dishwasher, waiter, shoe-shine boy, magician and janitor.

When I moved out here, I got into the corporate tech world, which was a great experience, but eventually the corporate grind wore on me. I knew there had to be a better way. I started thinking about what people need. They needed to disconnect from the day-to-day grind and connect more with each other. But how could I make that into a business? I realized there was nothing happening in the tea industry, so we opened Samovar about 12 years ago in the Castro, and since then opened three other locations, this being the fourth.