Issam Freiha

Issam Freiha is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blank Street, a rapidly growing coffee chain that he started in 2020.1 Here are some key details about Issam Freiha:

Professional Background

Issam has held several roles throughout his career:

• Chief Executive Officer at Blank Street (August 2020 - Present)
• Partner at Reshape (formerly Alrai Capital) (September 2017 - June 2022)
• Brief stints in Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley (2016) and Equity Research at Janus Henderson Investors U.S. (2015)2

Education

Freiha attended Columbia University from 2013 to 2017, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics & Statistics.2

Entrepreneurial Journey

Issam Freiha, along with his co-founder Vinay Menda, started Blank Street with a simple concept: to provide high-quality, affordable coffee using a cost-efficient model.3 They began with a single coffee cart in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and rapidly expanded to multiple locations across New York City and beyond.3

Personal Background

• Freiha is an immigrant entrepreneur in his late 20s.3
• He was born in Beirut and raised in London before moving to the United States for college.5
• Freiha is multilingual, with proficiency in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish.

Business Philosophy

Blank Street's mission, as articulated by Freiha, is to offer high-quality, specialty, third-wave coffee at a more affordable price globally.4 The company achieves this through smaller store formats, efficient operations, and innovative technology.4

Issam Freiha continues to lead Blank Street's expansion, with the company now operating in multiple cities and countries, including New York, Boston, Washington D.C., and London.4