Kinani Ahmed founded Sextant Coffee Roasters in San Francisco in 2014, drawing directly on his upbringing in Ethiopia, where he grew up immersed in the country's deep coffee culture. He personally roasts all the beans, using equipment designed to highlight their inherent sweetness and complexity. Sextant works directly with farmers across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Colombia, buying only from sources with established, sustainable relationships. Ethiopian coffees remain central to the lineup, a reflection of Ahmed's heritage and his belief that the best way to honor coffee's origins is to stay close to them.