In-person at MODA
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Business X Design is MODA's event series that explores how design fuels innovation, solves complex challenges, and shapes the world we live in. We invite boundary-pushing creatives to share the bold ideas and design thinking behind their work.
About the Event:
Aaron Fender co-founded Portrait Coffee after a trip to Rwanda changed how he saw the coffee industry.
Drawing on his background in leadership roles across multiple verticals, he was only 22 when he watched local washing stations control the economies around them, extracting value from the places that grew the coffee. Eventually, he posed a question that now informs everything he does: How do we completely reimagine the world of coffee to keep equity rooted in the community instead of passing through it?
The answer is Portrait, a roastery and shop in southwest Atlanta, housed in a building once owned by Lottie Watkins, the city's first Black female real estate broker. Aaron's wife's family has lived in the neighborhood for generations.
Nearly six years and one pandemic pivot later, Portrait has become a gathering place first and a coffee shop second, the kind of space people build a life around rather than pass through for a morning cup.
In this edition of Business x Design, Aaron will be in conversation with Gene Kansas about the decisions—geographic, architectural, and economic—behind building a company that treats its supply chain and its neighborhood as design problems worth solving.
What to Expect:
Learn how a trip to Rwanda's coffee washing stations changed Aaron's understanding of supply chains as systems of power
Find out why Portrait's location in southwest Atlanta, in a building tied to the city's first Black female broker, was a deliberate design choice
Learn how the pandemic and the racial justice movement of 2020 reshaped Portrait's growth
Think about what it means to build a coffee shop as a space for community life, not just a transaction
Timeline:
Arrive early to see MODA’s current exhibition
Program begins promptly at 6:15pm, followed by Q&A
Program ends at 7:30pm. Time to browse the exhibition, chat, and shop.
MODA closes at 8:00pm.
Registration
$11.15 for MODA members | $15 for Future Members
Become a MODA Member TODAY for savings on this event and more
Members must log in with their unique login to Simple Tix at checkout to receive their discount.
About Aaron Fender:
Aaron Fender is Co-Founder and CEO of Portrait Coffee, a roastery and coffee shop in southwest Atlanta. Before founding Portrait, he worked as a barista and general manager through college, then spent time at Industrious before returning to coffee with a sharper sense of purpose. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and their two young children.
About Gene Kansas:
Gene Kansas is the founder of Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate, which focuses on history, culture, and positive impact.
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The Museum of Design Atlanta is conveniently located in the Midtown Arts District, right across the street from the Woodruff Arts Center at 1315 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309.
MODA is located on the ground floor of the 1315 Peachtree Building. The building is a mix use site and is shared by MODA, the Peachtree Public Library, and Perkins+Will.
MODA resides on the land of the Mvskoke (Muscogee / Creek) people.
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Designers with different styles of learning or special needs are welcome in MODA public programs. We will be able to most effectively help everyone learn and enjoy this experience if we know about those needs in advance of the program. Please email miranda@museumofdesign.org with questions or information.
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Parking
MODA does not offer designated parking. There are public parking lots located in the Midtown Arts district, as well as metered parking available along Peachtree St NE. The paid Lanier parking deck at 1337 Peachtree St NE is the closest deck within walking distance of the museum.
Bike Riders
For visitors traveling by bike, there are plenty of bike racks conveniently located around MODA! You can find them along Peachtree Street, including right outside of MODA, and at the Arts Center MARTA Station. Don’t forget to bring a lock!
Marta
If visiting by train, take the North or South rail line to the Arts Center MARTA Station (N5), located directly behind the Woodruff Arts Center (accessible). Exit the Arts Center Station at the top level by the Peachtree Street exit. You will be behind the Woodruff Arts Center. MODA is located directly across the street from the Woodruff Arts Center. Use the cross-walk at the intersection of 16th and Peachtree to reach our building.
For more information on MARTA schedules, maps, and connections from other transit providers, please visit the MARTA website.
We offer a 20% discount on museum admission for patrons who used public transportation to get to MODA! (DOES NOT APPLY TO SUNDAY FUNDAY SPECIAL RATE)
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MODA reserves the right to cancel a program if the minimum enrollment requirements are not met, but don't worry: should MODA have to cancel, we will gladly issue a full refund to all registrants. If you need to cancel your plans for any reason, we kindly request that you notify us at least 7 days prior to the event start. By doing so, we can process a refund for the ticket cost (minus a small $10 processing fee per class). Unfortunately, we cannot provide refunds for cancellations made less than 7 days before an event.
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Pictures and videos will be captured during MODA public programs and may be published on the official website, social media, and newsletters of the Museum of Design Atlanta. If you do not wish to appear on these platforms, please write to felicia@museumofdesign.org.
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Email Felicia at felicia@museumofdesign.org with any questions.
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