The Chocolate Barista · Est. 2016 · Chicago, IL Friday, May 8, 2026 Coffee Culture · Culture Criticism · Hospitality

Coffee culture, told honestly.

Vol. X · Award-Winning · ghosttown.world

Race · Representation · Labor · The Business of Belonging in Coffee

Services

Work With Us

Consulting, speaking, and writing services are coming later this year. Join the list to be notified when they open — and get a sense of the work in the meantime.

01 · Consulting
Coming Soon

Strategic Consulting

For coffee shops, hospitality brands, and food & beverage operators who are ready to build an inclusive business — not as a values statement, but as a revenue strategy. Engagements are structured, time-bound, and built around your specific operation. We do not offer generic DEI frameworks. We build the business case, and then we build the plan.

Consulting opens later this year. Join the list to be notified first.

Opening · Fall 2026
Get notified
02 · Speaking
Coming Soon

Keynotes & Panels

Available for conferences, industry events, company off-sites, and symposia. Topics include: the business case for cultural hospitality, race and representation in specialty coffee, labor equity in service industries, and building a community-centered space from the ground up.

Keynotes, panel moderation, and workshop facilitation. For immediate press or speaking inquiries, email directly.

Opening · Fall 2026
Email for speaking
03 · Writing
Coming Soon

Editorial & Thought Leadership

Essays, long-form features, brand narrative, op-eds, and thought leadership for publications and brands who understand that the writing is the point — not a vehicle for a call to action. Michelle writes in her own voice. Ghostwriting is available for founders and executives on a very selective basis.

Commissions open later this year. For urgent editorial inquiries, email directly.

Opening · Fall 2026
Email about writing
Coming January 2027

Block Standard

A two-quarter hospitality education and credentialing program for coffee and food & beverage professionals ready to move past base-level kindness — toward unreasonable hospitality as a cultural standard. Six students. Three coffee shops. One cohort per year. Applications open January 6, 2027.

Student tuition: $3,500 · Rose Nicaud Fellowship available · Payment plans and income share options offered.

Learn about Block Standard Express early interest
Block
Standard
No Convincing

We do not spend our energy convincing people that inclusion matters. We work with operators who have already decided — and need strategy, not motivation.

Direct Communication

You will hear what is not working, and why, and what to do about it. We do not soften the diagnosis to protect the client's comfort. We soften nothing.

Full-Bodied Yes

We take on a limited number of engagements at a time. If we say yes, we mean it. We do not take work that is not a fit — for us or for you.

Be the First to Know

Services Open Later This Year

Consulting, speaking, and writing commissions open in Fall 2026. Subscribe to The Journal — you'll hear it here first, along with the writing and thinking behind the work.

Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. + Get the free Home Barista Setup Guide.

For immediate press or speaking inquiries: michelle@ghosttown.world

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