Area coffee company teams with supermodel

ST. PETERSBURG — Kahwa Coffee Roasters, headquartered in St. Petersburg, has formed a strategic partnership with kathy ireland Worldwide (kiWW), a brand marketing firm launched by supermodel, actress and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland that generates billions of dollars in annual retail sales.

Ireland, according to a press release, is the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s international youth chairwoman. She will serve as a global brand ambassador for Kahwa, which in turn will donate a portion of proceeds from its coffee product sales to the NPCF, a national nonprofit that funds pediatric cancer research. 

“We are experiencing an unprecedented global event at this time, and now more than ever, there is a need to support nonprofit organizations,” states Raphael Perrier, co-owner of Kahwa Coffee Roasters, in the release. “Our focus with this partnership is to restore hope for health-focused charities during such challenging times, with reassurance that their community is here and continues to support them.”

According to the release, 51% of proceeds from kiWW-branded Kahwa sales will be donated to the NPCF.

“In these uncertain times, it is imperative that we continue our work in finding cures for childhood cancer,” NPCF CEO David Frazer states in the release. “We are grateful to Kathy, our International Youth Chair and to Sarah and Raphael Perrier for their incredible generosity, in helping us fund the work that will destroy  the number one cause of death by disease among children."

Kahwa did $9.9 million in revenue in 2019.