# Debbie Wei Mullin

> Debbie Wei Mullin is the founder and CEO of Copper Cow Coffee, a Los Angeles based Vietnamese coffee company she launched in 2016 out of her sister's garage. A UC Berkeley economist and MIT-trained urban planner who once managed supply chains at the World Bank, she turned her mother's Vietnamese heritage into a single-serve pour-over inspired by the traditional phin filter. The company has sold more than 20 million coffees, reached over 3,000 retail doors including Target, Whole Foods and Costco, and pays its Vietnamese farmers roughly twice the market rate. She pitched on Shark Tank Season 12 in 2021.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Copper Cow Coffee
- **Organizations:** Copper Cow Coffee, The World Bank, The Asia Foundation
- **From:** San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA, Economics, University of California, Berkeley, MCP, Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Built Copper Cow Coffee from a garage startup into a brand in 3,000+ retail doors including Target, Whole Foods, Costco and H-E-B, Sold more than 20 million coffees, Reached over $7 million in annual revenue

## Career timeline

- **2009** — Senior program officer at The Asia Foundation (through 2011)
- **2011** — Associate at The World Bank (through 2013)
- **2014** — Consultant in supply chain management at The World Bank (through 2015)
- **2016** — Founded Copper Cow Coffee from her sister's garage with a $100,000 friends-and-family investment
- **2021** — Pitched Copper Cow Coffee on Shark Tank Season 12; shook hands with Robert Herjavec but the deal did not close
- **2021** — Raised Series A funding; total funding reported around $11.5 million

## Achievements

- Built Copper Cow Coffee from a garage startup into a brand in 3,000+ retail doors including Target, Whole Foods, Costco and H-E-B
- Sold more than 20 million coffees
- Reached over $7 million in annual revenue
- Raised roughly $3 million in venture capital (total funding reported around $11.5 million)
- Created a single-serve compostable pour-over inspired by the traditional Vietnamese phin filter
- Pays Vietnamese coffee farmers approximately twice the market rate
- Appeared on ABC's Shark Tank (Season 12, 2021)

## Latest updates

- **2021-05** — Closed a Series A round; total funding reported around $11.5 million.
- **2021-01** — Appeared on Shark Tank Season 12; handshake deal with Robert Herjavec did not ultimately close.

## Links

- Website: https://coppercowcoffee.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-mullin-308a168
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/coppercowcoffee
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbieweimullin/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/coppercowcoffee/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/debbie-mullin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-12