SAN DIEGO, USA – Inc. today announced its sixth annual Female Founders list, honoring a bold group of 200 women whose innovations and ideas are shaping the world into a better place. Taylor Fields, the CEO and founder of San Diego-based and LGBTQ-proud coffee company Nostalgia Coffee Roasters, earned a spot on the prestigious list.
The founders cross all industries and bring with them unique stories of success from each stage of the entrepreneurial journey — from startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers, or spending decades at the helm of an organization. They are reinventing everything from shoes to food and are challenging issues like financial literacy and reproductive health.
“I’m beyond grateful to be recognized alongside so many incredible female founders,” said Fields, who at 30 years old is paving a new path in a male dominated industry. “I certainly would not be here without the incredible work and dedication of our entire team. They have spent countless hours pursuing our goal of bringing systemic change to the coffee space and fighting for more equity, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. As a gay-female founder, fighting for equity is deeply personal, so this recognition truly means a lot.”
Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world’s biggest problems. The list features women who have overcome challenges and lifted those around them, while leading impactful organizations across the country. Fields joins the ranks of previous honorees including Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna, Shonda Rhimes, Cameron Diaz, Stacey Abrams, and Serena Williams.
“These 200 female founders have identified solutions to difficult problems and created valuable, industry-changing companies out of them. We congratulate this year’s list on their achievements and look forward to their continued success,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk.
Challenging industry standards is something Fields does every day. More than 50 percent of Nostalgia’s coffee is produced by women-owned farms, and the company gives 5 percent of its revenue directly back to producers each year in an effort to help improve their facilities and to pay employees higher wages.
Fields also ensures that everyone on her own team is paid a thriving and equal wage, while focusing on advancing women, LGBTQ and BIPOC community members to leadership roles. The company prioritizes sustainability by using 60 percent less fuel during its roasting process, creating an innovative and fully compostable brew bag, and ensuring its producing partners use the climate-smart and rainforest alliance best practices on their farms.
Fields, a former CPA, turned entrepreneur, opened Nostalgia in 2018 as a mobile cafe, with a trailer she built by herself over a year and a half. In 2020, when COVID-19 limited her ability to visit locations and set up shop, she pivoted to coffee roasting, eventually creating award-winning coffee blends that are sold online, distributed through strategic partnerships with Fortune 100 companies, and served in Nostalgia’s Torrey Hills cafe that opened in November 2022.
Last year was a breakout year for the company, as it won gold at Golden Bean, the largest roasting competition in North America and earned the No. 15 Coffee of the Year Award from Coffee Review. Now, it’s a finalist for this year’s Good Food Awards – with an Inc. 2023 Female Founder at the helm.
To see the complete list of Inc.’s 2023 Female Founders, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders
After launching in 2018, the Female Founders list is one of Inc.’s most esteemed franchises. Inc. magazine’s Female Founders issue (April 2023) will be available online on April 4 at https://www.inc.com/magazine and on newsstands on April 11.
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