06/13/2026
“One Cup Changed My Life"
One of the very first bumper stickers we ever made.
The idea was simple. Maybe one cup of Rise Up could change someone’s day, spark a conversation, start a friendship or slightly alter one's life...thus sending it in a new positive direction.
We learned early on, our people are every bit as important as the coffee they serve. And no single person has served more Rise Up customers than Alli Hensley.
Today is Alli’s last shift at Rise Up (at least for now!), and it’s impossible to put into words what she’s meant to this company over the past 15+ years.
Looking back on 21 years of Rise Up, hiring Alli was the most consequential decision we’ve ever made.
If anyone ever deserved a statue built in their honor at Rise Up, it’s Alli.
Businesses like ours spend a lot of time talking about building culture...
Alli IS our culture.
We talk about "connection". Alli is the entire power grid.
We talk about "ripple effects". Alli is a tsunami.
We talk about "genuine positivity". Alli is the walking Wikipedia page.
We talk about "guiding principles". Alli is our North Star.
Along the way she's probably served close to a million cups of coffee More importantly, that’s close to a million smiles, a million conversations, a million moments where someone’s day got a little better because Alli was in it.
And her impact of course didn’t stop at the shop.
Alli met her wife, Jess, through Rise Up. Together they’ve built a beautiful life and now have two beautiful children. Lifelong friendships were formed here. Countless employees found confidence, encouragement and a reason to believe in themselves because Alli believed in them first.
The truth is, there will never be another Alli. There can’t be.
She knew us when we were 5 years old. We’ve literally been through everything together.
We’re incredibly grateful for every early morning, every joke, every laugh, every hug, every shift, every cup and every single life she touched along the way.
Thankfully this is NOT goodbye.
It’s just the most heartfelt THANK YOU ever written.
Fair to say...
"One Person Changed Our Lives"
🎶 Steve Earl - Colorado Girl