A Love Letter 💌 to Community

Dear Friends,

First and foremost — thank you. Truly. The outpouring of support, messages, and orders (!!!) since my last post as we close out our final week in business has meant more to me than I can express. My heart is full.

And since today happens to be my birthday 🎉, I’m giving myself the best present of all: the gift of completion. For three years, I’ve carried a piece of unfinished business. And today I’m finally tying that loose end into a fabulous bow.

A few weeks ago, I stress-dreamt I was running late for some imaginary deadline. When I woke up, I heard this message clearly:

“Reframe lateness as divine timing — you cannot be late to your own life.”

So here we are, right on time.

Back in 2022, I partnered with my dear friend Claire Chan, founder of The Elk Coffee Shop & General Store in New York’s West Village, to tell stories about what happens when business becomes a force for good. Through our #WalkWithPurpose campaign, we wanted to explore how small, intentional choices like where you get your coffee can ripple outward to build connection and belonging.

The four stories and images that follow (beautifully photographed by Dan Li) offer a glimpse into The Elk community—a moment captured in time that reflects how community and connection remain timeless. And yes, if you’re wondering, everyone’s wearing RĒDEN shoes. Because when you’re walking with purpose, you might as well do it in comfort and style.

CLAIRE: The Visionary ☕️

When Claire opened The Elk in 2014, she didn’t just want to serve coffee, she wanted to create an ecosystem of intentionality and connection. Every decision, from her choice of suppliers to the design of the space, reflected that purpose. For example, she decided early on not to roast her own beans but instead to partner with Brooklyn-based roaster Parlor Coffee. The partnership was rooted in shared values: local production, reduced carbon footprint, and integrity in sourcing. For Claire, these details matter because they weave into something larger, a “web of people” who form the fabric of The Elk’s community.

When the pandemic hit, that web was tested and strengthened. Claire’s role shifted overnight from hands-on manager to steady leader, navigating unemployment paperwork, health insurance, and emotional support for her team. With indoor dining shuttered, she pivoted quickly, transforming The Elk into an upscale bodega-style general store that not only sustained the business but deepened its roots in the neighborhood. Those were hard days for small businesses, and the community responded in kind through an incredible GoFundMe campaign that sustained the business. Today The Elk thrives again, a reminder that when business is built on interdependence it becomes far more than transaction, it becomes a hub for care and connection. “Sometimes we’re in the position to give,” Claire told me, “and sometimes we’re in the position to receive. Both are necessary.”

What does #WalkWithPurpose mean to Claire?
“Carrying yourself in a way that’s true to yourself and your community. We’re all part of one big collective—someone’s success or suffering ripples through us all.”

CHRISTINE: The Community Builder 🤗

If Claire is the architect, Christine is the builder. She started working at The Elk at nineteen, and over the years it has become her second home. As General Manager her role is one of steady support: focusing on the team, the customers, and The Elk. But her true gift lies in building community. She greets each person who walks through the door as if she’s been waiting for them, creating connection with care and curiosity. By asking about someone’s day or remembering their regular order, Christine “breaks down the wall” that New Yorkers so often put up. She sees each small interaction as an invitation for people to “check into being more present.”

The Elk, under her care, has become what she calls a “headquarters for community.” It’s a place where love stories, collaborations, and friendships are born. Christine has introduced several couples who went on to marry and have “Elk Weddings," earning her the nickname “Cupid of The Elk.” She even played matchmaker between team member Meggie and customer Daniel, who years later are now inseparable (and married!). Beyond romance, Christine has witnessed countless business connections form over coffee lines. To her, coffee is a universal language, one that makes it easier for strangers to talk, for communities to form, and for people to feel seen.

What does #WalkWithPurpose mean to Christine?
“Being more present and aware in everything you do. The city moves fast. So if I can help someone slow down, even for five seconds, that’s walking with purpose.”

EZRA: The Regular 💫

Ezra has lived in the West Village for over a decade, and he’s been a regular at The Elk ever since, stopping by nearly every day with his dog in tow. Ezra often bumps into friends or meets new ones (especially other dog owners) simply by sitting at a sidewalk table. “The dog thing is really real,” he laughs, admitting it’s also great for people-watching. He describes The Elk as “a community, almost like family” that makes people “gravitate…and always come back.” For Ezra, The Elk is proof that small, everyday interactions can root us deeply in place.

During the pandemic, those daily visits became sacred—sometimes the only real human interaction of the day. “It was my one thing,” he told me. “My reason to get dressed, go outside, and feel part of the world.” Pre-COVID, Ezra remembers sitting inside, reading or answering emails; now, with outdoor-only seating, The Elk feels more open to serendipity. “You see your neighbors, you talk, you just... connect.” It’s a reminder that connection doesn’t always require grand gestures; sometimes it’s simply about showing up.

What does #WalkWithPurpose mean to Ezra?
“Staying true to yourself and living your best life.”

MEGGIE & DANIEL (and Ace): The Lovers ❤️

Meggie moved to New York from Slovakia at seventeen and found her home at The Elk, a place she describes as “warm, alive, and full of possibility.” Meggie loves how The Elk hums with quiet rituals: first dates, work meetings, friendly catch-ups. To her, The Elk is more than a workplace; it’s an “information exchange,” where dog parents swap leash tips and allergy remedies while their pups enjoy treats at the counter. The staff knows their regulars by name and by order. Meggie notes there are regular customers whose drinks are already in progress the moment they appear outside. “And if someone disappears for a few days,” she laughs, “they come back and explain where they’ve been so we don’t think they got coffee somewhere else.” That’s the kind of loyalty The Elk inspires: a place where people feel seen, known, and remembered.

Daniel was one of those regulars. A restaurant manager nearby who first wandered into The Elk by chance, and kept coming back for the atmosphere, the people (especially Meggie), and what he calls “a really good product.” His order: an almond milk cortado or decaf espresso always perplexed Meggie, until he later admitted the decaf was just an excuse to hang out. Over time their connection deepened, especially during the pandemic when Daniel helped The Elk build its outdoor structure and navigate new safety rules. Their love story soon expanded to include Ace, a bully-lab mix who quite literally walked into their lives one day, refusing to leave The Elk’s front door. After fostering him, they quickly “fell in love” and adopted him. Three years later, Meggie and Daniel are married, Ace is part of the family, and The Elk remains at the heart of their story. It’s a living testament to what happens when business transcends commerce and becomes connection.

What does #WalkWithPurpose mean to them?
Meggie: “Everyone has their own purpose, even if we can’t see it.”
Daniel: “Making your steps count—giving your best with each one.”

As I close this chapter of RĒDEN I’m reminded that the heart of any business isn’t the product, it’s the people. These stories reflect how community is built cup by cup, intention by intention, conversation by conversation. The Elk is proof that business holds the promise of being far more than a series of transactions. It can be a gathering place for the human spirit, where connection itself becomes the real currency.

Thank you for walking with me. For showing up, for believing, for showing me that even endings can be love letters 💌.

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,
One clover, and a bee.
And revery.
The revery alone will do,
If bees are few.
– Emily Dickinson

With love and gratitude,
Nelli
#WalkWithPurpose