Introducing…

Onyeka Obiocha of A Happy Life

Tell us about your business.

A Happy Life was launched in November, 2013 as a specialty coffee roasting company dedicated to making the world a happier place. We invest 100% of our net profits to helping growers in undeserved countries to break the cycle of poverty by developing innovative solutions to societal problems. 

Why did you decide to start your business in Hartford?

Our company’s beginning is similar to Serendipity, the critically-acclaimed romantic comedy starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. It was pure coincidence that Vishal Patel, the founder and CEO of A Happy Life, and I both decided to enroll in reSET’s Social Enterprise Accelerator program. I had just landed my dream job building a Corporate Social Responsibility program, and was looking for guidance in building my own CSR program; Vishal had returned from a life-changing trip in Tanzania and wanted to learn about the social enterprise sector. Over the next several weeks, I had a chance to learn about Vishal and his vision for A Happy Life. We wanted to create an entity that would change the way consumers view businesses and capitalism as a whole. So, I left my job and joined A Happy Life; the rest is history.

How does your business impact the community?

We have always pushed sustainability to the forefront of the corporate narrative by practicing what we preach. This past March, we partnered with Blue Earth Compost, Blue Earth Compost is a food scrap pick-up service for the communities of Hartford and West Hartford, Connecticut. By partnering with Blue Earth Compost we were able to implement a zero waste coffee services. All cups and packaging are either 100% compostable or reusable, and the compost created is donated to the Knox Foundation- a nonprofit organization based in Hartford, that raises awareness on the importance of horticulture and how it affects a city’s environmental development. Recently, we also launched the “New Haven Artists Edition”, a limited edition packaging featuring New Haven artists and their work as a means to promote expression and creativity throughout the city. In the process, we have brought art from three different artists to a variety of retail locations in New Haven, and collaborated in various events to encourage art and socially responsible coffee intake.

What words of wisdom would you give to an aspiring social entrepreneur who may be hesitant to take the plunge into entrepreneurship?

The only bad decision is indecision.

What is like being an entrepreneur in Hartford? What difficulties or challenges have you faced?

I have never been an entrepreneur anyplace other than Hartford, so I have a limited frame of reference to compare, but it is difficult to be an entrepreneur in Hartford. It’s more frustrating than difficult. The best example that comes to mind is when I was young and my mom would ask me to do the dishes, I would look over and see a couple place and utensils and work on getting them down. Out of nowhere, my mom would come over and put more dirty dishes next to the sink for me to wash. I would imagine her going out to a special “mothers only” store to buy pre-dirtied dishes just to haunt me. The level of frustration during that time is similar to being an entrepreneur in Hartford right now. Trying to launch an education program or cultural event in the city is challenging because you are constantly met with red tape, ignored emails, and people passing you off to the next person like a baton. It harps back to the dish washing analogy, it’s frustrating but as the city continues to grow and more entrepreneurs aim to make a lasting impression here, I am confident the tide will turn.

What is your vision for your business venture over the next five years?

There is no solid vision for A Happy Life in 2019. Of course I have some delusions of grandeur and even occasional hallucinations, but no solid vision. All I know is that as a company, brand and culture, every fiber of DNA in A Happy Life will be dedicated to creating a happier world for everyone to live. What that world looks like, I don’t know. But I am looking forward to building it.

This blog series, done as a partnership between HYPE and reSET, offers a platform to showcase the commitment that Hartford Entrepreneurs have for their work and this City. It will examine how young entrepreneurs have chosen their work, and give examples of the ways in which they are having an impact in Hartford.

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