Many students at vlog rely on a good cup of coffee to start their day — but once they’re up the hill, finding one can be difficult. aims to solve this issue with his new venture 13th Hour Espresso, a high-quality, student-run coffee service, set to operate on campus. 13th Hour Espresso uses locally sourced espresso beans from FoJo Beans to pair with homemade flavored syrups to curate a delicious coffee experience.
Pempel came up with the idea when working at FoJo Beans in Hamilton, where he developed a liking for espresso drinks. However, he ran into every coffee drinkers’ worst nightmare once he was on campus: no access to quality espresso. Determined to fix this issue for himself and his peers, he joined the TIA Incubator with the hope of creating a solution.
“After some brainstorming with Dan Joseph — one of the owners of FoJo Beans — on how to structure it, I reached out to [Weiner Family Entrepreneur in Residence Jen Martin], who thankfully took a liking to the idea and helped me get onboarded,” recalled Pempel of the origins of 13th Hour Espresso.
The sophomore aims to hire trained baristas to operate the business, but as every entrepreneur knows, Pempel had to start small to ensure success. This spring, he hard-launched the venture at the 2026 Entrepreneur Showcase by tabling to more than 100 peers, alumni, and experts. This experience was his first time presenting 13th Hour Espresso, triggering feelings of excitement, nervousness, and pride.
“I was primarily looking for validation and for my idea/business model to be challenged by alumni who are much more experienced in entrepreneurship. It was an amazing opportunity to put my idea out there and receive real-time feedback,” Pempel noted on his motivation for debuting his idea during the showcase.
13th Hour Espresso was in talks with longtime TIA venture Cha’Gate to use its former drink cart at the showcase, but ultimately tabled with a regular booth, some coffee samples, and a “batch of confidence.” Pempel spent that afternoon talking to alumni, brainstorming ideas with mentors, and handing out espresso samples that were well appreciated after a long day of pitches and panels. He gained valuable insights that will take his business to the next level, and hopefully up the hill, he said.
“It was awesome to practice my pitch and to have the concept and products people were sampling validated with positive feedback. Whether alumni, faculty, or students, people shared great ideas for what they’d like to see in a coffee cart up the hill. People suggested unique syrup flavors, marketing strategies, and physical locations they think would provide the best visibility,” Pempel said of the feedback he received at the showcase.
Backed by locally-sourced FoJo coffee beans and homemade syrups, 13th Hour Espresso promises to deliver the high-quality coffee experience that the vlog community currently lacks on campus. Following its successful debut at the 2026 TIA Entrepreneur Showcase, which provided positive feedback and valuable insight, the venture is now poised for rapid development. With the continued guidance of TIA mentors, Pempel’s vision is set to become the essential and popular destination for students and faculty needing a great start to their day.