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Partner Spotlight: Allison DeVane of Teaspressa

Allison DeVane, Teapressa, Snappy Gifts, Gift Ideas, Founder Feature, Female Founder, AAPI Hertitage, AAPI Month, Interview
Lauren Nolan
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May 1, 2023

To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, we are recognizing the contributions and impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. At Snappy, we’re proud to partner with a number of incredible AAPI-founded and owned brands to include their products in a variety of our most-loved gift collections. While you can always find AAPI and other minority-owned brands in any of our gift collections, within the Snappy Rising Voices Gift Collection, you’ll exclusively find minority-owned businesses and products.

Allison DeVane is the founder of Teaspressa, and we are sharing the story behind her business, brand, culture, and achievements. 

Allison, a self-described coffee and drinks lover, launched Teaspressa in 2015 as a healthier alternative to the not-so-great side effects she was experiencing from her regular coffee consumption. Teaspressa is the first and only beverage that is a hybrid of tea and coffee, which makes it a healthy swap for other traditional caffeine drinks. DeVane’s mission was to create a holistic product that enhanced the mind, body, and soul for all to enjoy, creating a handcrafted blend of teas with dynamic flavors and soothing aromas.

Teaspressa is the perfect gift for those looking to add some excitement and quality to a variety of drinks–from teas and lattes to mimosas and cocktails–Teaspressa offers a totally unique and proprietary Tea Concentration Technology that uses a pressure extraction method to produce tea blends that, like espresso, can be used to make drinks such as tea lattes and other tea-based drinks that are comparable to gourmet coffee beverages. The Teaspressa LUXE sugar cubes are a versatile and exciting accompaniment to lattes, mimosas, sparkling wine, Italian sodas and mocktails, and cocktails!

Teaspressa can be found for enterprise gifting in the Rising Voices gift collection, as well as Snappy’s Picks, and Snacks gift collections. And for personal gifting, you can find Teaspressa in Snappy’s Housewarming collection, Snacks & Sweets collection, Bridesmaids collection, Birthday gifts collection, and Snappy’s collection, Celebrating Diversity.

One of DeVane’s earliest jobs was as a barista, “I could have done that job my entire life because I love coffee that much.” After graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in business, DeVane moved home for a bit to ponder what she really wanted to pursue as a career. While she loved coffee and for a time thought she might open a coffee shop, she also sought innovation and the opportunity to have a greater impact.

“My mom is Korean and tea is an important part of the culture. I didn't think much of tea and only really drank it when I was sick. I loved coffee, but coffee didn't love me. I would get headaches and stomachaches and could only really drink it once a day and now just once a week. But I thought about making a tea like an espresso,” says DeVane.

DeVane shared her favorite tea and tip for jazzing it up with a Teaspressa LUXE cube with Snappy: “I love the Manhattan Black tea. My favorite method to brew is with a moka pot because of how concentrated the shot comes out to be. It's really nice. I really like to pair it with the LUXE rose sugar cube (from the Teaspressa collection) and add a dollop of frothed milk. I always have my drinks hot no matter the temperature outside.” Though she lives in sunny and warm Arizona, DeVane tells us, “There is something about wrapping my hands around the cup, dropping in the cube and watching the rose petals float to the top as I stir with my special little spoon. The steamy aroma puts me at ease and is my little escape.” 

Over the course of a few years, DeVane worked tirelessly to file trademark and patent applications, build her brand, and get her products into the world. “I cold-called businesses and they let me serve my product to their customers for free. I used an old laundry cart my mom got from a garage sale for $25, bought a tablecloth from Target, and added a piece of wood from Lowe's. I used my family's van to transport my machine and products to each business. I did this three times a week for a year. And then I decided I needed a home base closer than my parents' house to downtown, so I partnered with a building owner to open my first Teaspressa location.”

Shortly after opening her first shop, she was invited to pitch the sharks on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” “I bombed it. I just wasn't ready to have a shark as a partner. But it was the most impactful moment of my life… I learned that through every failure you have to look at the positives and take home lessons,” says DeVane.

It has since been several years since DeVane’s "Shark Tank" appearance, and her business continues to grow and thrive. DeVane’s best advice for other entrepreneurs on what it takes to succeed: “Don't be afraid to fail … in fact, embrace it! Failures are the steps to success. Don't be afraid to ask for help. And trust your gut.”

When it comes to sharing her own gratitude and making others feel appreciated, DeVane had this to say, “My favorite way to share gratitude is spending quality time with others to make them feel appreciated, whether it is over dinner or a cup of tea.” And we say cheers to that!

You can send Teaspressa and other amazing gift options as your own token of gratitude or thanks using Snappy’s personal gifting platform as well as our award-winning enterprise gifting platform.

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