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Original Grounds
vision —
Original Grounds is a holistic reimagination of the modern American coffee experience.
Coffee is the most widely consumed functional plant medicine in the world.
Properly curated from source, OG Coffee is an evolution in flavor that offers a full spectrum of nootropic alkaloids with tremendous health benefits.
From tribe to table, seed to cup, our coffee is deeply connected to people and places where it is grown.
OG coffee restores forests, uplifts Indigenous communities, and elevates daily life through the radical metamorphosis of how we think about business and the products we consume.
Profitable, sustainable economies are key to protecting the forests of the world and the people who care for them.
Agroforestry expansion protects biodiversity, water, and soil while improving full spectrum quality of the coffee. Direct partnerships create alternatives to extractive supply chain models. A fully integrated supply chain culminates in the highest quality at a fair price.
We source coffee directly from indigenous land stewards across the globe through fair contracts and transparent relationships to support regional economic sovereignty. Every harvest is traced from field to cup, giving customers full transparency and providing real-time data to constantly improve efficiency.
This holistic approach offers the consumer experiential depth through authentic connection to source and cultural resonance with regenerative impact that restores ecosystems and communities.
roots —
Our mission is to inspire new economic models to help us navigate some of the current ecological adversities we are facing on a global level.
connection —
Through story and experience we aim to inspire a deeper understanding of the people, cultures, and ecosystems where their daily cup of coffee comes from.
In our Cafes, Content, and Tours, Indigenous elders, scientists, doctors, anthropologists, ethnographers, and ethnobotanists will expand our connection to the coffee we consume.
cafe
content
tours
cafe
family —
From Producer to Consumer we view everyone involved in our supply chain as a member of our family — and will build that ethos into our brand from the ground up.
Producers
Direct, long-term relationships with indigenous and smallholder farmers. We provide premium prices, support for regenerative agriculture practices, quality standards development, and market access that honors their sovereignty and expertise.
Vendors
Patagonia-inspired ethic - long-term, fair, transparent partnerships where vendors become part of our family.
Employees
Equity incentives to collapse the "boss/worker" divide - everyone shares in success.
Members
Our membership incentive program will reward loyal customers with discounts, exclusive access to premium beans, and the opportunity to participate in curated tours to our growing regions where customers spend real time with producers, learning about cultivation practices and the lives and cultures of the people who grow their coffee. This program includes online and in-person educational experiences teaching customers about coffee cultivation, science and alchemy, and the direct impact of their purchases.
Our Goal
Aggressively capture 1% of Starbucks' $36B annual revenue market share within 5 years through rapid growth and partnerships for maximum impact of supporting the forest and increasing the customer experience.
$245B
Global coffee market
with accelerating premium tradeup
$102B
Specialty coffee segment
growing ~10% CAGR (structural premiumization)
$36.2B
Starbucks (Annual Revenue)
demonstrates vertical integration power (our benchmark)
45%
US Adults drinking specialty coffee / day
mainstream market increasingly driven by demand for transparency and wellness
market alignment —
World-Class
Team
Decades of experience across natural products retail, film, indigenous communities, and tech.
Vertically
Integrated
Vertical integration from farm to cup.
Tech
Enabled
Technology infrastructure built for scale from day one.
Multi-Channel
Strategy
Multi-channel strategy (DTC + retail + cafés).
Stakeholder
Ownership
Stakeholder ownership creates loyalty and reduces CAC.
Native
Storytellers
Content/media capabilities enable faster brand awareness.
rapid scale playbook —
Subscription
Exponential.
Predictable recurring revenue that grows lifetime value
Impactful.
Every subscription funds indigenous partnerships, regenerative agroforestry, and ecosystem restoration
Cultural.
Coffee is a daily ritual with universal reach—each order transforms a personal choice into collective impact
Impact-Driven DTC
Proven.
Our team has architected industry-leading DTC platforms—from scaling cannabis access at Eaze to building Patagonia's Shop Used recommerce to growing Thrive Market's private label coffee program to 80%+ of category revenues
Scalable.
Deep expertise in scaling DTC with complex supply chains while maintaining frictionless user experience
Regenerative.
Subscribers see their direct role in regeneration
direct-to-consumer —
Infrastructure for Radical Transparency
Track every cup.
Blockchain-verified tracking: harvest → processing → roasting → cup
Keep an eye on quality.
RFID and computer vision enablement in the supply chain for quality control, logistics efficiency, and real-time monitoring
Elevate honesty.
Single source of truth for both consumers (impact tracking) and operations (efficiency)
Cultural & Consumer Integration
Follow the source.
Every bag connects to real-time farm updates and community stories
See for yourself.
Live experiences: grower visits, ecological tours, seasonal celebrations
Join the story.
Embeds producers and consumers in a shared story of regeneration
tech / connectivity —
0
Pre-Seed
6 Months
Raise $500k micro-seed and validate brand direction
Build strategic foundation: core team recruitment, advisor network, producer partnerships (2-3 signed agreements)
Begin supply chain development
Develop comprehensive plans for Phase 1 launch: business plan, supply chain strategy, retail/café buildout roadmap, financial modeling
Product development and market readiness (MVP, white-label partnerships for initial market entry)
Close $5M seed round to enter Phase 1
1
Foundation
0—12 Months
DTC Core: Subscriptions, membership tiers, content spine (primary revenue channel)
Flagship Café Experience (Los Angeles): Brand showcase, customer experience center, content creation hub
Supply chain MVP and initial operations
Additional flagship cafés (Brooklyn, select markets)
Scale DTC with refined customer acquisition
2
Expand
12—24 Months
Additional flagship cafés (Brooklyn, select markets)
Scale DTC with refined customer acquisition
3
Accelerate
18—36 Months
Build retail and wholesale channels nationally (natural + specialty; then selective conventional/club)
4
Scale
30+ Months
Multiple city locations, corporate campuses, university partnerships, diverse location types
scalable multi-channel strategy —
Core
Beans
Premium single-origin beans
Beverages
Subscriptions
Next
Cacao & Chocolate
Yerba Mate
Ramón Nut
Herbal Infusions
herbal infusions from same agroforestry partners (strategic partnerships for faster market entry)
Future
Ready-to-Drink
Selective ready-to-drink products
Partner Stores
Retail extensions through partnership model
future vision —
Raising Now
$500k
Micro-Seed Round
Structure
SAFE
Or convertible note
Timeline
3-6 Mo.
Next Round
$5m
Launch Phase
DTC platform and subscription service launch
Supply chain development with blockchain tracking
Open flagship cafés (LA + Brooklyn + select markets)
Wholesale/retail partnerships and storytelling platform V1
uses of Capital
Team & Network
Core
Recruitment leveraging founder networks for accelerated growth
Advisory
Coffee industry veterans, impact investors, strategic advisors
Go—to—Market
Producers
Secure 2-3 indigenous producer partnerships with signed agreements
Product
Brand development and first product MVPs
Partnerships
Potential white-label partnership for initial market entry
Business Infrastructure
Strategy
Comprehensive financial modeling and go-to-market strategy
Legal
Legal structure (Delaware PBC) with stakeholder ownership framework
Risk
Risk assessment: Supply chain, scaling, competitive response
the ask —
Eric Watson
Founder & CEO
Entrepreneur and producer with decades of experience financing, building, and scaling creative ventures. Co-founded Protozoa Pictures (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain). Created the brand story for and helped launch hard kombucha beverage Flying Embers. Founded and successfully exited indoor gardening supply chain Green Door Hydro and Solar. On the board of several non-profits focused on indigenous sovereignty including the Boa Foundation, Era, and Lakota Small Farms.
Zak Zaidman
Co-Founder
Serial entrepreneur and advisor across multiple brands with 25+ years in international sourcing, innovation, branding, and go-to-market focused on smallholder farmer-sourced products. Deep Latin America relationships. Co-founder of ReSeed, building climate finance solutions for farmers.
Aleksey Klempner
CTO / Tech Advisor
Impact-focused entrepreneur and CTO with 20+ years building platforms that connect commerce, community, and conservation. Helped Patagonia and Trove pioneer Shop Used, bringing circular commerce into the DTC mainstream. Participated in co-creation of UN-validated biodiversity credit systems with Indigenous partners. Previously tech co-founder of Eaze, scaling it into the leading cannabis delivery platform. Deep expertise in DTC, supply chain, logistics, and traceability, AI-driven commerce, and architecting systems that scaled from startup to hundreds of millions in revenue.
Paul Redman
Content Lead
Paul Redman is the founder of If Not Us Then Who and an award winning documentary filmmaker whose work has involved directing, filming and editing a variety of films on a range of issues.
team —
Jeremiah McElwee
Over 30 years in the natural products industry, including senior leadership at Whole Foods Market and as Chief Merchandising Officer at Thrive Market. Created and scaled Thrive's private label program, including its successful coffee products, which grew to represent more than 80% of the category's revenues.
Domenick Cimino
Brand and business leader with over 15 years of experience scaling consumer products. Led brand strategy and growth for multiple brands within a leading brand incubator, building multi-channel presence across retail, DTC, and international markets. Deep ties to the creator economy and proven record in positioning premium consumer brands.
Atossa Soltani
Founder of Amazon Watch and Director of Global Strategy for the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative, Atossa has over 25 years of experience leading rainforest protection and Indigenous rights campaigns. She is a globally recognized advocate for biocultural conservation and cross-sector partnerships.
Darren Aronofsky
Academy Award–nominated filmmaker and founder of Protozoa Pictures, Darren is known for visionary films such as Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, and Black Swan. Beyond film, he is a committed environmental advocate, producing acclaimed projects on climate and conservation with National Geographic and other global partners.
Rudy Randa
Co-Founder at Aniwa Co and The Boa Foundation | Amplifying Indigenous Wisdom inviting all peoples to come together and create a new story, planting the seeds of change so we may grow + thrive in harmony with the Earth
Advisory Network
Indigenous filmmaker collaborations
Regenerative agriculture experts
Specialty coffee industry veterans
Impact investment community
strategic advisors —
Let's build the next global coffee brand,
from the grounds up.
—
Tribe to table.
Farm to cup.
OG