Brenda Hostetler Kauffman ’95

Major: Elementary Education

Business name:

The Electric Brew, Goshen, Ind.; established in 1996.

Business description:

As a GC student, Kauffman missed mountains and coffeehouses of her native Oregon. After graduating and “realizing that the mountains wouldn’t be moving,” she and husband Tony Kauffman built Goshen’s original coffeehouse and gathering place. The Brew is also a live music venue.

On the spirit of entrepreneurship:

“There is always the dichotomy of rewards and challenges in owning your own business; rewards and challenges can be closely related. For example, you can ‘choose your own hours’ but, on the flip-side, we mostly just work all the time!

“Time management is challenging. You must also have patience to train employees, to try new things and give them time to work. You need to be able to motivate and encourage staff in a work environment that needs to be fun and productive.

“We’ve been very intentional about the Brew being an environment that can be inviting to all who enter. We have not wanted to create an agenda; however, we want this to be a place that nurtures the spirit and feeds the soul.”