A loan helped .


Anna's story

I grew up as a Korean immigrant in the suburbs of NJ. My mom owned a flower shop and later a nail salon. While it wasn’t easy to raise a family in a country with unfamiliar customs and language, she persisted. Every day she went through her English/Korean dictionary studying phrases and expanding her vocabulary. She was smart, funny, and kind and used the same focus and determination for everything in her life. She loved to welcome and serve others in her home and business. Because of her, my sisters and I learned the importance of hard work, determination, kindness and compassion.

In high school I dreamed of opening a coffeehouse, KHORA, a place that brings people together for comfort, conversation, and friendship. Years later, Stephen and I began exploring the idea more seriously. In 2015 we bought a 1904 craftsman in Portland we felt could fulfill our KHORA vision. We wanted to reimagine the mom and pop establishments from back in the day. While preserving the warmth and charm of our historic home, we are renovating the main floor to a café space and maintaining a residence upstairs. Portland is facing huge growing pains as developers vie for land and demolish old homes to make way for condos. With the KHORA model we are committed to creating a business that strengthens community rather than tearing it apart.

After two years of battling cancer my mom passed in 2016. The emotional turmoil combined with the hurdles that come with renovating an old home to meet modern building codes hasn’t been easy. Nevertheless, inspired by my mom’s example of hard work and determination we’ve persevered and are focused on bringing our shared values of love and kindness to the heart of KHORA’s mission—comfort, conversation, and friendship.


This loan is special because:

This loan helps an entrepreneur live out a dream and build her business.



Loan details


About Khora Coffeehouse (Agora LLC)

Industry: Food
Years in operation: New Business

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Loan details