Dr. Maya Chen and Dr. James Okafor — both astrophysicists at Portland State — started roasting coffee in Maya's garage. What began as a hobby for late-night observatory sessions quickly became an obsession. They named it Nebula, because great coffee, like a nebula, is the birthplace of something extraordinary.

First commercial roasting facility on SE Division Street. Sourcing partnerships established with farms in Ethiopia and Colombia. First 200 subscribers joined within a month — all through word of mouth.

Expanded sourcing to 12 origin countries across Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia. Opened the Nebula Tasting Room — part cafe, part planetarium, where customers sip flights under a projected star map of each coffee's origin coordinates.

Launched the subscription service that now serves over 50,000 members worldwide. Named "Best Independent Roaster" by Coffee Review. Still roasting in small batches. Still visiting every farm. Still staying up too late looking at stars.