W. P. Carey MBA alum Denise Napolitano uses experience, education to run business with a cause

Through her time at the W. P. Carey School of Business, Denise Napolitano (MBA '20) was able to build a strong support system that has helped her business, Empower Coffee Roasters, survive and thrive over the past five years.

Growing from a chemistry background to become an entrepreneur is a daunting transition, but Denise Napolitano (MBA '20) made it look easy with determination, passion, and help from W. P. Carey and ASU.

Through her time at the W. P. Carey School of Business and through networking with other entrepreneurs at the school and in the Arizona community, Napolitano was able to build a strong support system that has helped her business, Empower Coffee Roasters, survive and thrive over the past five years.

"For aspiring entrepreneurs, if you're an ASU student, use the resources available," she says. "There are so many across the university that you can take advantage of."

Napolitano — who also works as a program manager at Intel — spoke with the W. P. Carey School about how her desire to make a community impact helped her start her business and how she helps current students down the path of entrepreneurship.

Why W. P. Carey?

Before beginning her MBA program, Napolitano was very familiar with ASU and its reputation for innovation and inclusivity, having recently completed a PhD in chemistry from the School of Molecular Sciences. "It was an easy choice to stay at ASU because I already loved the school," she says.

Napolitano knew she wanted to start her own business, but didn't feel as though she had enough knowledge about the business world to do so. To her, an MBA was the best option to gain some of that knowledge to "get a strong start."

"When I got to know everybody involved in the ASU Full-time MBA program, I valued how seriously they take Where Business is Personal," she says. "I instantly felt right at home, felt embraced and included, like I belonged, and that I already had a place there."

Napolitano was also impressed with the resources that are available to W. P. Carey students, and particularly those who are interested in entrepreneurship. She worked with Venture Devils to find mentorship for the early stages of starting her business, in addition to earning grant funding through Changemaker Central. "There are so many resources that you have available to you at ASU while having the personal experience of W. P. Carey," she says.

The Full-time MBA program is challenging, and Napolitano says the experience of balancing projects and managing time taught her how to be more resilient. "It also taught me about the value of having a support network and a local community,” she says. “When you're working on a startup, something like my business that's a small local shop, it's so important to build up a network of local entrepreneurs to support one another.”

Why entrepreneurship?

MBA alumna Denise Napolitano with her husband, Zach Gamza

Napolitano's business started with her and her husband's passion for fresh coffee — they had a small coffee roaster in their garage they used often — and a desire to make an impact. “A part of the mission of our business is to empower women,” she says. “All of our beans are sourced from women-owned farms to help support women across the globe in the coffee industry, as well as make women-owned farms more successful.”

Empower Coffee Roasters has evolved into a full cafe located in Mesa, Arizona. The business also donates 5% of its sales to nonprofit organizations benefiting women in Arizona. Not only is Napolitano able to make a difference in her community through Empower, she greatly enjoys being able to connect with customers face-to-face, whether at the cafe or at events like local farmers markets.

"It’s invigorating and inspiring to see that we can make an impact on people just by being there to serve them coffee in the morning when they're buying their vegetables," she says. "It’s great to know that we can become a part of somebody's ritual at home when they're making coffee in the morning, or their routine when they're going to the market to stop by and grab a cup of coffee. To be able to make those connections inspires me to keep going."

This level of impact and connection keeps Napolitano enthusiastic about her business, while also working full-time at Intel. She admits that her schedule can be tiring but finds joy in both endeavors. "I love doing [my full-time job], and I love our business, and I love what we've built,” she says. “It’s something that we want to do, and it's a business that we're proud of and that we love, so that makes it worth it."

What's next?

The cafe location of Empower Coffee Roasters opened in the first half of 2024, so the near future for Napolitano will be focused on continuing to grow that operation and seeing how it evolves.

"We want to become a space where people feel comfortable coming in, if you have group meetups, if anybody wants to just come in and have our place as a home base," she says. "That's the type of thing that I'm excited about, to start to build a place for our community to grow and thrive."

As a W. P. Carey alum, Napolitano stays involved with the school as much as her schedule allows. She often takes part in alumni panel discussions and meets with students seeking guidance and mentorship, sharing insights from her role at Intel and her experience as a small business owner.

For those considering pursuing an MBA, she recommends keeping an open mind about possible career paths. "We go into the MBA program, generally, with a specific goal," she says. "But I would say to keep an open mind because you never know what you might learn that is going to spark a new passion in you. For me, I never knew that I was going to love finance and accounting, but I took courses and I loved it. I have another career in finance now, too."

"You just don't know what you're going to find, so keep an open mind,” she adds. “There’s so much to learn and explore. Keep your goals in mind, but also learn from the people around you and learn from the courses that are available to you, too."