The Importance of Community
Katy Weseman ’09 MS and her partner, Sarah Riddle
Katy Weseman ’09 MS has always had a passion for community building. From her time as a graduate student in higher education administration and policy at Northwestern, she has prioritized work that welcomes people; after serving as assistant director of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s LGBT Resource Center, Weseman transitioned to roles that bolster DePaul University’s new student programs and LGBTQIA student services. Now, she’s added another skill to her toolbelt—co-owner of a coffee shop.
Weseman opened Ridman’s Coffee in 2017 with her partner, Sarah Riddle. Bearing a clever combination of the couple’s last names, the shop in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood aims to provide a quality product while making customers of all identities feel at home. “It’s our goal to have a space that people feel comfortable coming into,” Weseman said. “Taking the time to get to know and remember pieces of people’s stories can make a huge difference.”
Weseman and Riddle’s local community focus is palpable through coat and dry-good drives, pop-ups with Chicago-area artists, personal day-to-day interactions with customers, and more.
“Northwestern taught me how important ongoing connections are with people. It’s a powerful lesson that we try to live out through Ridman’s.”
At the corner of Clark and Lawrence, the shop’s location is special: Weseman, a Chicago native, met Riddle just down the street in Andersonville. “It felt like it was meant to be,” Weseman shared.
Learn more at ridmanscoffee.com.
Discover more alumni-owned small businesses by visiting the directory.