The year was 2004. After a lifetime of unsatisfying beverage choices since moving on from my childhood chocolate milk, I began drinking coffee. At about the same time, a new coffee shop opened a few blocks from my home in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, providing convenient access to fuel for my newly-found fire.
I began to frequent the shop—Amavida Coffee (Spanish for “love life”)—as I found that it fed not only my desire for a caffeine buzz, but a desire for a better world. I got to know owner Dan Bailey and was moved by the way he approached business. I had no idea at the time that watching this little coffee shop grow would be so fulfilling, and that it would come to help the endangered Gulf wildlife that are a focus of my work with Healthy Gulf.
As Dan built the business he visited the coffee farmers around the world and worked with a cooperative to guarantee the farmers a fairer price than they received from big wholesalers. He invested in community projects in coffee regions to improve access to clean water and to help women farmers thrive in regions where they traditionally had very limited access. He achieved organic certification for his coffee and roasting operation.
After years of valuing people and the planet as part of doing business, Amavida Coffee became a certified B Corporation in 2014. The “B” stands for benefits, and signifies a business that meets rigorous third-party certification for social and environmental performance and accountability.
So when I asked Dan if he would partner with Healthy Gulf on a coffee blend to raise awareness of the plight of Gulf whales, I should not have been surprised at his enthusiasm. Amavida released Happy Whales coffee in 2025, providing a tasty way to spread the word about the Gulf’s critically-endangered Rice’s whale and to raise funds for Healthy Gulf’s whale conservation work.
Life on the Gulf coast is so inextricably tied to the health of our environment—the sandy beaches and dunes; the expanse of rivers, bays and Gulf; pine forests that stretch inland; the wild creatures and human communities that call it home. Amidst this special place, our friends at Amavida Coffee remind us that business can be a force for good.
Happy Whales Coffee purchases can be made here: https://amavida.com/shop-organic-coffee/happy-whales-blend/