Tea Gallerie
San Diego, California
I have a background in sales and marketing and used to work with small business owners, but the pressure of a corporate job took away from the magic of interacting with customers. Three years ago, my husband and I decided to create our own brand of tea we wanted to bring back loose-leaf teas and help people improve their health one cup of tea at a time. We launched Tea Gallerie with a focus group tea party in the backyard for friends.
We cashed out our investments and savings to start our business. A big bank turned us down, but Accion gave us a starter loan that we used for our website and inventory. We were so happy that someone trusted and believed in us. Accion has been not only a financial partner but also a supportive community partner. We tell all our friends and other business owners about Accion.