Her Story
About Natalie
Natalie Ramirez serves as co-founder and finance manager of a coffee shop she opened in 2020 alongside her sister. In this role, she oversees payroll, inventory management, worker tips, and fair payments to coffee farmers in Colombia while analyzing monthly revenue and collaborating with marketing on promotions. As a full-time student at Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Boston, she balances academics with her responsibilities at the business and her leadership of two campus clubs: Women in Business and Salsa Vacata Nexus, where she teaches Latin dance and organizes events. Ramirez credits her success to the ethics, hard work, and positive attitude modeled by coffee farmers in her family across five to six generations, as well as her mother's example as the hardest worker she knows, who transitioned industries and earned Woman of the Year recognition. She draws career guidance from mentor Miriam Ortiz, emphasizing authentic presentation of values and intrinsic motivations, and prioritizes community, authenticity, integrity, and a growth mindset in her work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Natalie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the ethics, hard work, and positive attitude of coffee farmers from my family, who have been in the industry for five to six generations. They come to work no matter the weather with humility and care. My mom is also the hardest worker I've ever met, changing industries and winning Woman of the Year as the only Latin woman in the Chamber of Commerce.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice came from Miriam Ortiz, CEO of Eastern Bank Foundation. She taught me through her example that my values and intrinsic motivations will always stand stronger than the work itself. Presenting myself authentically with genuine motivations makes others take my work more seriously, and this shows in everything from my clubs to the coffee shop.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges include automating payroll and inventory with AI for small businesses, especially those started during COVID without investors, leading to paying rent from personal pockets. Opportunities come from a growth mindset, showing up consistently despite hardships, being intentional with customers, and going viral through authentic engagement, as we did with over 3 million views on a TikTok.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Community, authenticity, integrity, and a growth mindset are huge pillars in both my work and personal life.
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