Press Features
Recent and relevant articles featuring Café X and the owners.
The Black Women Entrepreneur Summit, 11|18|20
Cafe X was featured in the Union Tribune Article on the Summit. At the event, Cynthia Ajani, Khea Pollard, and other trailblazing entrepreneurs discussed their challenges, successes and opportunities for the future.
Meet Khea Pollard of Cafe X: By Any Beans Necessary in College Area, SD Voyager
10.28.19 — I was inspired by the life and legacy of Malcolm X. It’s like he lived two lives because of his incredible spiritual journey in leadership. The phrase “By Any Means Necessary” was used in a play by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre called Les mains sales, or Dirty Hands, first performed in 1948...Malcolm X later used this refrain in his speech to the Organization of African American Unity."
New Café Aims to Brew Unity Through Activism and Education
Café X: By Any Beans Necessary is on a mission to “start a movement of healing and communal wealth-building for communities of color”
By NBC 7 Staff
Published Sep 2, 2019 at 2:27 PM | Updated at 2:29 PM PDT on Sep 2, 2019
A new café brewing in southeast San Diego hopes to unite locals through activism, art, and educational programs.
Café X: By Any Beans Necessary held its launch last Friday at a pop-up event on Euclid Avenue with live poetry readings, performances, and organic coffee.
According to a media alert for the event, the café is on a mission to “start a movement of healing and communal wealth-building for communities of color.” The café plans to tackle its mission by hosting events and educational programs for underserved and marginalized communities.
“When you start at the bottom, you get to lift everybody up,” said Café X CEO Khea Pollard.
Good Morning San Diego Segment Highlighting Collaboration With Open Heart Leaders and Urban Restoration Counseling Center
Posted: August 30, 2019
Updated: 10:53 AM
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The Open Heart Leaders organization and the Urban Restoration Counseling Center is celebrating the grand opening of their hub for mental health.
To discuss how they’re partnering up with Cafe X to help the community Open Heart Leaders April Laster, Janel King, and Khea Pollard stopped by Good Morning San Diego.
Cafe X Marks the Spot
By Dustin Lothspeich via NBCSanDiego.com
Uniting the world, one cup of coffee at a time: If Khea Pollard, Parker Edison and Ferchil Ramos can bring their collective vision to fruition, Southeast San Diego will soon be on the receiving end of quite the jolt, courtesy of Café X: By Any Beans Necessary.
Currently approaching its final planning stages, the three community activists will get their coffee shop off the ground(s) initially as an outdoor cart located at the Community Spot (6443 Imperial Ave.) in Encanto before eventually expanding. Its mission?
"We are a space for healing, creating art and organizing," Pollard told SoundDiego via email. "The focus is cooperative economics, reinvestment into community, and unique partnerships."
Meet Khea Pollard of Café X: By Any Beans Necessary
VIA SDVOYAGER.com
Today we’d like to introduce you to Khea Pollard.
Khea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been in San Diego all my life. Born and raised here, went to college here, attaining a Masters Degree locally. I’m as native as it gets. My mother’s side of the family is local and my father’s side of the family is in Pennsylvania. When I was about 10 years old, I moved from Kearney Mesa to Valencia Park in Southeast San Diego- the neighborhoods my grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins lived in.
Prior to that, my family moved around quite a bit. I remember stabilizing in the “hood” after a property manager in Kearney Mesa called my dad a N*****. Now, if anyone reading this knows my dad, you know that didn’t end well. Before I knew it, we were on Logan Avenue in Southeast. Hah! From Logan to Klauber (Encanto), Meadowbrook, back down to Alderley Street – I spent my formative years moving around the area.
Even before I lived in these communities, I was being bused to school at Oak Park Elementary, went to Nubia Leadership Academy, and Community Preparatory School. I’m giving all this detail because I’m not who I am, and this business doesn’t exist without the journey, these relationships and my family. My parents are proud (and smart) people. They chose to send me to schools and environments where I would be taught and nurtured by people like me. Where I could be creative, lead and feel a sense of belonging. That doesn’t happen by accident or osmosis.