SUNNIVA SUPER COFFEE. When Jordan DeCicco, college point guard and youngest brother of Jimmy DeCicco ’15, needed something to get him through a day that started with 5 a.m. practice, he turned his dorm room into a test kitchen. His challenge: to concoct an energizing coffee free of unhealthy ingredients. Before long, Jimmy, a Colgate football captain, had left his real estate finance career on Wall Street to join Jordan as CEO of their coffee startup, Sunniva. (Middle brother and Georgetown wide receiver, Jake, is also on board.) “I take care of raising money, hiring, and, for now, marketing,” said Jimmy. “We’re still small, but we hope to soon be the healthy alternative to the Starbucks Frappuccino on every shelf in the country.” Sunniva Super Coffee is a blend of Colombian coffee, purified coconut oil for slow-burning energy, a lactose-free dose of milk protein, and organic dark maple syrup. Stocked by Wegmans, Wawa, and mid-Atlantic Whole Foods, the four flavors (Jimmy’s favorite is dark mocha) are also sold in 40 New York locations of WeWork, the booming coworking business that made an in-kind investment in Sunniva secured by Jimmy and Jake. sunniva.co; variety packs, $14–$36
SHINY OBJECTS. NASA can take credit for developing dichroic glass — embedded with thin, shimmering layers of metal — but Maine art teacher Becky (Clement) Christie ’82 turns hers into vividly colored pendants, bracelets, and earrings. (Contact her with requests; not all jewelry is pictured online.) shinyobjectsbybec.com; $8–$35
CALIFORNIA FRUIT WINE. Finding work at the height of the recession led Brian Haghighi ’09 to take inspiration from his hometown, San Diego, the epicenter of craft beer. Yet he snubbed grain and grapes and chose instead to make a craft beverage out of less-expected fruit: mangoes, pomegranates, and more. “It’s perfect for brunch, lunch, and late afternoon,” said Haghighi. californiafruitwine.com; $15/bottle
QLT STUDIO. A Colgate geography major who traded Utah for Hamilton, Jennifer Meakins ’05 always has to be making something. After studying architecture in graduate school at the University of Illinois at Chicago, she made her way to Los Angeles, where she creates and curates museum exhibitions. After hours, it’s quilting. “That’s how I relax,” Meakins said. “That’s how I get my creative energy out.” Her baby quilts are modern and “swoonworthy,” according to the blog Flax & Twine. qltstudio.com; $250
Seeing double: Together with cofounder and identical twin brother Alan, Haghighi recently opened FruitCraft, a tasting room in San Diego offering cocktails and small bites.
See more alumni products at colgate.edu/scene. 28
scene: Autumn 2017