Created by business partners Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell in 1995, Equator Coffee & Teas started in a garage in Marin County, California, and is now one of the most beloved roasters in the Golden State. What turned Equator from a small-scale, garage-based coffee roaster to the powerhouse micro-roaster it is today? It all comes down to their ability to build lasting relationships with the farmers who grow their beans, most of whom live in South America, Central America and Africa.