Lead The Change

In this episode, Bard MBA candidate Ana Caka interviews Zainab James, founder of Vaz House Café, a jazz-inspired Caribbean specialty coffee shop launching in Manchester, Connecticut. Zainab traces the café’s origins to making morning coffee for her grandfather in Jamaica and her family’s roots in the island’s hospitality industry, sharing how heritage and community shaped the concept. She speaks candidly about the realities of early-stage entrepreneurship, including her observation that founders are often over-educated and underfunded, and reflects on direct-trade sourcing, sustainability, and building a brand that gives back to its local community.