Our presenter at Rotary this week will be Mary Allen Lindemann, co-owner/Community Builder of Coffee By Design (CBD); a Maine owned and operated specialty coffee roastery/retailer, which she co-founded with her partner, Alan Spear, in Portland, Maine in 1994. Committed to changing the world, one cup of coffee at a time, CBD has five coffeehouses and a micro roastery, which provides customers with craft-roasted coffee. In addition to serving some of the world’s finest coffee, Coffee By Design is committed to running a sustainable business dedicated to the arts, the environment, and the community – both here in Maine, as well as around the world at origins where they buy their coffee.
 
CBD has received numerous awards for community work, business practices and quality coffee. The international restaurant review site, Zagat.com, recognized CBD as one of the top ten coolest coffee shops in the U.S. and the company was noted as one of the reasons Travel and Leisure selected Portland, Maine as #8 on their recent "Best Coffee Cities in America" list.
 
Ms. Lindemann’s title of "community builder" illustrates the many hats she wears at the company. She is dedicated to ensuring that Coffee By Design stays true to its Maine roots and maintains its commitment to giving back to the local and international communities from which Coffee By Design is intimately connected. Part of her job is to make sure the company continues to be a “good corporate citizen” while making social change happen in a unique and meaningful way.
 
Her involvement in the community includes being a founding member of Portland Buy Local, the Maine Women’s Fund’s Women Standing Together and Portland’s First Friday Artwalk. Most recently, Mary Allen’s focus is on asylum seekers and immigration rights for those new to the United States and settled in Maine. With regards to coffee, Mary Allen believes “it's an honor to represent the many farmers we buy from by serving you a great cup of coffee.” She is actively involved with the International Women’s Coffee Alliance and hopes that the work she does on a daily basis at Coffee By Design and in the community makes a difference now and in the years to come. For her work, she has received the Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community’s “Women Making a Difference" Award, the Southern Region Champion, Maine Women’s Fund’s Tribute to Women in Industry Award and Portland Buy Local’s Essential Founders Award.  Last year, she and Alan were selected as the SBA’s Small Business Persons of the Year for the State of Maine and Mary Allen was honored by the State of Maine with a Legislative Sentiment for public service in April 2015.
 
Mary Allen is proud to work with her partner and husband, Alan, and loves being Mom to Alina.