ExtraSpecialTeas, Inc.

Brewing BELONGING.

CLIENT
Co-Founders Cherri, Scott & Jache Sanes of Great Barrington, MA.  ExtraSpecialTeas.org

CHALLENGE
When young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities reach the age of 22 yrs, Jache Sane being one, they are no longer eligible for any state services of any kind. For families, the choices are home-care, personal care assistants or institutionalization. In 2012, the Center for Disease Control reported that 1 in 68 US children are identified with autism spectrum disorder, 1 in 42 for boys. The societal & economic impact of this unresolved phenomenon is not currently being addressed in any systematic nor innovative way.

SOLUTION
A Community-Oriented Retail Tea House Enterprise, featuring an employment & life skills training program empowering young adults with intellectual & developmental disabilities, newly aged out of school, to engage with & contribute to their local community on main street, through the culturally diverse world of Tea. In addition, cultivate state sponsorship, as well as create a recognizable brand, a provocative online content platform, an e-commerce offering & mission reflective partnerships toward helping re-shape the world’s perspective around Intellectual & Developmental Diversity. EST has national-scale franchising aspirations, with the Great Barrington location serving as the prototype.  Development is currently underway for a Long Grove Chicago opening in 2020, with subsequent launches slated for Berkeley, CA & Austin, TX.

DETAILS & STATUS