In the summer of 2017, 20-year-old Gabi Angelini was on the job hunt like most young adults her age. What she didn’t anticipate, however, was that having down syndrome would have such a large impact on her ability to find work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 19.1% of people with a disability are employed in America.
Instead of letting the fact that employers did not want to hire someone with down syndrome affect her spirit, she decided to open her own business.
Mary, Gabi’s mother, knew that Gabi had dreamed of opening her own restaurant ever since she was a little girl. Eager for her daughter to be successful, especially in the face of adversity, Mary began to explore the logistics of making Gabi’s dream happen. The previous summer, Gabi and Mary had visited a coffee shop that really inspired them, and it brought Gabi’s dream into clearer focus: from there, Gabi’s Grounds was born.
In addition to paving her own career path, Gabi says she wants her coffee shop to be a place where she can give other people with disabilities the opportunity to work.
“We all have talents and abilities and we are hard workers and we all deserve a chance to be a part of our communities.”
Watch the video above to learn more about how Gabi is empowering people, one cup of coffee at a time.