Why Olympian Melissa Ortiz started Kickoff Coffee Co. NBC4 Washington [Video]

This article is part of Bísness School, a series that highlights one of the fastest-growing groups of entrepreneurs in the United States, Latinos. You can hear or watch the full conversation with Melissa Ortiz below.

Some of Melissa Ortiz’s biggest successes have been accompanied by the smell of coffee.

“We’ve always loved coffee,” the former professional soccer player said about her family. “My mom drank coffee all the time.”

There was the coffee that helped her parents’ auto repair boutique business stand out in West Palm Beach, Florida.

“[My parents] got to a point where you offer clients coffee, but you go to a regular dealer and you’re getting like this gross coffee,” she said. “So one of the things that they implemented into the business many, many years ago was actually offering not only good coffee, but cappuccinos or a latte or an espresso.”

Then there was the coffee …