John Sage manages the general business operations of Pura Vida Coffee from the company’s administrative office in Seattle, Washington.
Pura Vida is a specialty retailer selling premium coffee to individual and institutional customers across the United States. All net profits from the coffee sales, along with donations from customers and partners, benefit at-risk children in coffee growing regions of the world.
Prior to launching Pura Vida Coffee, John spent nine years working in various high-tech marketing positions. He served as Vice-President of Marketing and Business Development for Starwave Corporation, a leading Internet media company recently acquired by Disney and Infoseek. Prior to joining Starwave in 1994, John spent five years at Microsoft, where he ran the Microsoft Works business and later directed marketing for the company’s flagship application product, Microsoft Office.
In addition to devoting professional energies to Pura Vida Coffee, John is active in a number of philanthropic and charitable causes and serves on the Board of Governors of Opportunity International, a micro-credit lending organization based in Chicago. He is a leading voice in the field of social entrepreneurship and venture philanthropy.
John holds a BA in American Studies from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard business School. He enjoys kayaking, salmon fishing and rooting for his beloved Seattle Mariners. He and his wife Shelly live in Seattle with sons Jackson and Nicholas and are active members of University Presbyterian Church.