[ep 101: Jess Reno on leaps of entrepreneurial faith, creating safe spaces & the beauty in hard things]

About this episode

Jess Reno shares his journey of entrepreneurship, resilience, and the importance of creating safe spaces in the hospitality industry.

There is great depth to Jess Reno, who has a soul and heart that are as deep as they are wide. He’s the founder and CEO of Nemesis Coffee and Dope Bakehouse — but these titles alone don’t come close to telling his story. He grew up in Scarborough, Ontario, in a neighborhood that demanded toughness, in a family shaped by poverty, hardship, and resilience. It made him grow up, fast. After his dad made the radical decision to get straight in his life, he applied to Emily Carr. That choice would change the entire trajectory of their lives, eventually bringing them to Vancouver — where Jess eventually got a job at Caffe Artigiano and, unknowingly, setting himself on the path to becoming one of the most intentional and creative hospitality founders in the city. In this episode, Jess shares parts of his story he’s never spoken about publicly — coffee as comfort & solace from a young age; what it meant to grow up quickly; navigating generational trauma; healing a long-time chip in the shoulder; running his first coffee shop with family; taking the risks that eventually allowed him to build something of his own. We talk about entrepreneurship, identity, family, leadership, heart and…

People in this episode

Host: May Globus

Guest: Jess Reno

Topics covered

• entrepreneurship
• identity
• family
• leadership
• mental health
• safe spaces

Keywords

• entrepreneurial faith
• generational trauma
• coffee
• hospitality
• resilience
• family
• safe spaces

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nemesis Coffee, Dope Bakehouse, Caffe Artigiano

Places: Scarborough, Ontario, Vancouver

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