Our Story

Our Mission, Vision, and Purpose

Social enterprise coffee company providing training and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and those in recovery from mental health conditions.

Mission

To mainstream disability and normalise inclusion

Vision

To build an ecosystem of impact-driven partners that work towards uplifting the lives of everyone

Corporate Purpose

Create meaningful opportunities that bring people together and uplift all.

How It Started

Foreword Coffee began in 2017 as a small experiment with a simple question: could everyday interactions over coffee reduce stigma and foster greater understanding towards persons with disabilities?

We believed that many barriers faced by persons with disabilities arise not from their conditions, but from limited opportunities for meaningful interaction and connection. Coffee became our medium, creating a welcoming space where people from different backgrounds could meet, work alongside one another, and build understanding through everyday experiences.

What started as a student-run café at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has since grown into a social enterprise committed to creating meaningful employment opportunities and advancing disability inclusion.

Every cup we serve is an opportunity to create connection, celebrate diverse strengths, and move towards a society where inclusion is simply everyday life.

2017-2019

Finding Our Footing

Foreword Coffee was incorporated in April 2017 with $20,000 of personal savings and a belief that meaningful interactions can reduce stigma and foster greater understanding towards persons with disabilities.
With support from raiSE and NUS Enterprise, we opened our first commercial cafés at the Civil Service College and Centre for Healthcare Innovation in 2018. The opening of our Temasek Shophouse café in 2019 and recognition at the Enabling Employers Awards showed that our mission was beginning to resonate in the community.

2020-2021

Growing through Adversity

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to businesses and communities. Despite the uncertainty, Foreword Coffee continued creating meaningful employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
In 2021, we opened new cafés at Canberra Plaza, NUS Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, and Orchard Central BakerX. That same year, we received the Enabling Mark (Platinum), the highest level of Singapore’s national accreditation for disability-inclusive employment.
Read the feature on the inaugural Enabling Mark Awards 2021

2022

Reinvention for Sustainable Growth

In 2022, Foreword Coffee opened new locations at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Great World, and MediaCorp, bringing our network to a peak of nine operating locations across Singapore.
As the organisation grew, we began refining our model for long-term sustainability. This led to the launch of our first Barista-as-a-Service location at Toyota Tsusho Asia Pacific, bringing inclusive employment into corporate workplaces. We also received the DBS Foundation Grant and were named to the inaugural Steward Leadership 25, which recognises organisations creating long-term value for society, stakeholders, and future generations.

2023

Reaching New Heights

After a period of rapid expansion, we consolidated our operations by closing five underperforming locations and strengthening our focus on sustainable growth. At the same time, we opened our second Barista-as-a-Service location at Mount Elizabeth Hospital HQ.
The year also brought significant recognition. We were honoured as Social Enterprise of the Year at the President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Awards, while our co-founder was recognised as one of Tatler’s Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow 2023.
Another important milestone was the acquisition of our first Stronghold S8X coffee roaster after years of relying on rented facilities. Bringing roasting operations in-house increased our production capacity, strengthened quality control, and laid the foundation for future growth.

2024

Inclusion Gains Recognition

As our impact continued to grow, Foreword Coffee received national recognition for our commitment to disability-inclusive employment and social impact. We were recertified as Enabling Mark (Platinum) by SG Enable, recognised as “Champion of Good” at the Company of Good Conferment by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) and awarded the President’s Volunteer and Philanthropy Award (PVPA), SME Category.
This was also a year of renewal, with a refreshed brand identity and the opening of our Esplanade outlet.
Read our Straits Times feature: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/starting-a-start- up-soc

2025

Expanding our Reach

Foreword Coffee expanded into new spaces and partnerships, including the opening of The Star Vista outlet within HSBC’s new Wealth Centre, our return to Temasek Shophouse, and operations at Momentus Hotel. We also delivered a year-long weekly coffee cart programme with Ministry of Health Holdings.
During the year, we received Temasek's T-Ignite funding, which supported the establishment of the Foreword Coffee Academy and Roastery at Enabling Village Vista. The funding enabled us to strengthen our team, expand our capabilities, and build the foundations needed to scale our impactand grow a sustainable social enterprise.
T-ignite Fund feature: https://www.temasek.com.sg/en/news-and-resources/stories/community/seeds-of-change/foreword-coffee-a-brewing-ground-for-inclusion
Extraordinary People feature:https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=GDrOa4fPd80qd_s_&v=EhiiFnJ0cZg&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=chatgpt.com

2026

Towards the Future

As our impact continued to grow, Foreword Coffee was recognised by raiSE as a Verified Leading Social Enterprise, affirming the strength of our impact measurement practices and our commitment to creating meaningful and measurable social outcomes.
2026 marked a new chapter in Foreword Coffee's growth as we deepened our corporate partnerships through workplace coffee solutions, supplying roasted coffee beans for corporate pantry machines, opening our in-house café at Procter & Gamble (P&G), and running weekly coffee carts at AIA and Palo Alto Networks. Through these partnerships, we bring inclusion into everyday workplace moments, creating more opportunities for meaningful interactions between our team members and the wider community.
Link: https://www.raise.sg/directory/foreword-coffee/

Our Strategies

Our company strategies help to guide our directions when working with partners and determine how we allocate resources

Practise Mindful Consumption

Consuming mindfully and being conscious of resources, contributing to environmental sustainability.

Co-create Spaces for Inclusion

We engage stakeholders to create inclusive environments and contribute to a more inclusive and understanding society.

Develop Meaningful Partnerships

Seeking partnerships with win-win outcomes, ensuring positive impact for all stakeholders.

Continuous Learning & Training

Creating a culture of continuous improvement and skill development to discover and grow potentials in everyone

Embrace Innovations for Sustainability

Adopting new sustainability initiatives in collaboration with industry partners, demonstrating a commitment to innovation

Prioritise Workplace Safety and Health

Prioritising the well-being of employees and ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for all

Our Team

Meet the dedicated team behind Foreword Coffee! Our HQ staff and multi-outlet supervisors work tirelessly to ensure every cup of coffee is crafted with care and precision.