Coffee, served with a second chance

Catch up quick: Klehm, 56, founded Convict Coffee in 2024 after a life that swung from prison to the corporate world.

• "I grew up in an abusive home," he told Axios, adding his parents were both alcoholics. "I was into alcohol and drugs my whole life."
• At 13, he was arrested for breaking and entering and went to juvenile hall. Over the next nine years, he spent more time incarcerated than free.
• One of his sons was born while he was behind bars in California.
• "After that, I immediately started working toward trying to build a new life," he said.

Following his release at 22, Klehm rose through the restaurant industry, eventually becoming a brand executive.

• He was the chief operating officer of both Illegal Pete's and a Cheba Hut franchise group.

By 2023, he was ready for something else.

• "I spent 30 years of my life making people rich. I hadn't done anything to make the world a better place," he said.

Zoom in: Though he'd never run a coffee shop, he opened one in a Parker strip mall — with three of his children on staff. He serves cold brews and caramel lattes alongside a mission to rethink incarceration.

• Three of the shop's 10 employees, including Klehm, were once incarcerated.
• "People are not disposable. They are redeemable," he said. "I have to believe that because I'm here."

That ideal is baked into the business model.

• Convict Coffee sources cold brew beans from Redemption Roasters inside the Denver Women's Correctional Facility and donates 25 cents per drink to causes including incarcerated youth programs and prison K9 training.

What's inside: At Convict Coffee, you'll find heavy metal, strong coffee and an eclectic crowd.

• A Methodist moms group meets there, as does a collective of queer artists.
• "We've got these people sharing this same weird little space," Klehm said.

He lives out of his van to keep costs down and stay focused.

• "No one can ever say I've become a different person because of the success we're having here," he said.

Fun fact: For every 100 five-star Google reviews, he gets one new tattoo.

• So far, he has five, including a skeletonized Starbucks mermaid.

What's next: A second shop is set to open this month near the University of Denver.

• He wants 10 more family-owned shops in 10 years — plus six franchisees, all formerly incarcerated.

🤨 Proust Questionnaire ⁉️

Your greatest fear: "Failure as a parent."

Your motto: "It's better to do good than look good."