#62: Richard Corney – How Flight Coffee Took Off and The Dark Side of the Coffee Industry

Richard Corney is the founder of Flight Coffee and a globally respected figure in the specialty coffee world.

In this episode, we unpack Richard’s journey from joining the Navy straight out of high school, to opening his first café by the age of 20, to building one of Aotearoa’s most beloved coffee brands 'Flight Coffee'. He shares candid reflections on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, his recent ADHD and autism diagnosis, the challenges of scaling a values-led business, and what years of judging the World Barista Championships have taught him about excellence.

We dive into the creation of Flight Coffee, the founding of social enterprise Raw Material, and what it really takes to stay curious and committed in a saturated, fast-moving industry.

Richard also opens up about leadership, legacy, and the unseen parts of the coffee world most people never think about.

Whether you're into coffee, business, or stories of resilience and purpose, this one’s a banger.

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#62: Richard Corney – How Flight Coffee Took Off and The Dark Side of the Coffee Industry

Beyond the Surface

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