Community Highlights: Meet Rachel And Jenelle De Los Santos of Pulo Coffee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel And Jenelle De Los Santos.

Hi Rachel and Jenelle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Both of us spent years building careers in tech. Rachel was working what she thought was her dream job at Salesforce, and Jenelle was an Accountant at Netflix. On paper, everything looked right. We liked our companies, respected our managers, and worked hard. But over time, something felt like it was missing.

For Rachel, it was the fear of getting older while building someone else’s vision instead of her own. For Jenelle, it came into focus after tearing her ACL, which forced an unexpected pause from work and a lot of reflection. Around the same time, we realized we were both asking the same question: if not now, when?

Coffee had always been part of our life together. When we traveled, the first thing we did was look for a local coffee shop. At home, we took turns making coffee for each other every morning, and something about that filled our cup (literally and metaphorically lol)

We decided to bet on ourselves and build something around that feeling.

We started Pulo Coffee using our own savings and worked nights and weekends to get it off the ground. Our first event was actually our own launch, which was harder than we expected but incredibly clarifying. Every event after that taught us something new, and we’ve continued refining our process, menu, and service with each one.

Along the way, we’ve had to work through imposter syndrome and the natural doubt that comes with building something from scratch. But even when the work is demanding, it feels different because it’s ours.

Today, Pulo Coffee is focused on doing fewer things well. We keep our menu tight, prioritize quality, and think carefully about how our presence reflects on the brands and companies that hire us. The goal isn’t to promote ourselves. It’s to be an extension of our clients and help create an experience their guests genuinely enjoy.

Our Filipino roots also became part of the business organically over time, from the name to the flavors we explore. It wasn’t something we set out to spotlight, but it’s meaningful to represent and share as the brand has grown.

We’re still learning and evolving. Corporate events and brand activations, in particular, remind us why we started: to create connection through coffee and leave a small but thoughtful mark doing it.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges was the mental shift from corporate structure to building something from scratch. In tech, there’s a framework, resources, and a clear definition of success. When you start your own business, especially in the early stages, you’re constantly making decisions without a blueprint. That uncertainty can mess with your confidence if you let it.

Imposter syndrome showed up more than we expected. There were moments where we questioned whether we were really qualified to do this or if we were just figuring it out as we went. The reality is, we were doing both. Learning while operating was part of the process, and accepting that took time.

Having an experienced mentor helped ground us during that phase. It wasn’t about being given answers, but about having someone who could challenge our assumptions, pressure-test our decisions, and help us see when something was a normal growing pain versus a real issue.

There were also very practical challenges. We funded the business ourselves and learned quickly that running events is physically and mentally demanding. Our first few events were especially tough. Things took longer than planned, processes weren’t dialed in yet, and we walked away from each one both exhausted and full of notes on what needed to improve.

None of these challenges were deal breakers, but they were growth points. Each one forced us to get clearer about our standards, our systems, and what kind of business we actually wanted to build, not just what we thought we were supposed to do.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Pulo Coffee is a Los Angeles–based coffee cart catering company focused on elevated corporate events and brand activations. We’re typically brought in when a client wants the coffee experience to feel like a feature of the event rather than a background detail.

One thing clients consistently mention after events is how much guests enjoyed the coffee and the experience at the cart. Along with the quality of the drinks, the latte art printer often becomes a natural conversation starter, especially when guests see their logo or a custom design printed directly onto their drink. Those small moments tend to stick with people long after the event.

We also put a strong emphasis on presentation and service. Clients often comment on how polished the cart looks and how friendly, professional, and hospitable our baristas are. In corporate and brand environments, those details matter because every touchpoint reflects back on the host.

One thing that sets us apart is our focus. We’ve designed our systems, visual standards, and service style specifically for corporate events and brand activations, where execution, aesthetics, and guest flow really matter. That clarity allows us to deliver a consistently high level of experience in the environments we work in most.

Brand-wise, we’re most proud of the standards we’ve held ourselves to, both visually and in the cup. Quality and presentation has been more important to us than expanding quickly, and that discipline has led to inbound brand partnerships, referrals, and repeat clients, which we see as the strongest validation of the work.

If readers take one thing away, we hope it’s that Pulo Coffee is about making people’s day a little better through great coffee, kind baristas, and an experience that feels thoughtful from start to finish.

How do you think about happiness?
What makes us happy is building something that feels like ours and getting to experience it in real time. Some days, we still can’t believe this is what we get to do for a living.

We love seeing guests genuinely enjoy the coffee, watching an event come together smoothly, and hearing from clients afterward that everyone loved it. Those moments are really satisfying.

Outside of work, we’re happiest when we’re eating our way through the city. Trying new restaurants, traveling, and of course checking out local coffee shops. Those experiences inspire a lot of what we do and remind us to slow down and enjoy the moment.

At the end of the day, happiness for us is feeling present, spending time with family and friends, and being excited about what we’re building together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pulocoffee.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkpulo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579920900014#
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pulo-coffee-los-angeles?osq=pulo+coffee

Image Credits
June Choi