Ali Elman

Co-Founder, Base Coat, Black Eye Coffee, and Return To Lovely

Denver

After graduating from University of San Diego with a degree in business marketing, Ali landed a position with Grubb & Ellis as a market researcher working in commercial real estate. The time spent with Grubb & Ellis allowed Ali to cultivate her keen sense and love for finding promising retail and restaurant spaces. Building off her success at Grubb & Ellis, Ali moved into a new role as an Estate Manager for two well-known CEO’s in New York City, a position she held for over seven years. During this time Ali sharpened her financing skills and further refined her design aesthetic working as project lead on renovation projects. Feeling the drive to pursue her own visions and dreams after spending years helping others cultivate and shape their own, Ali shifted her energy into opening Black Eye Coffee, a community-centric coffee shop located in the LoHi neighborhood of Denver that was promptly named best new coffee shop in Denver upon opening. Fast forward a couple years, Black Eye had evolved as a business and brand, Ali and partners set out to open a second location in Capitol Hill that exemplified the Black Eye tenants of hospitality and craft while showcasing the refined side of the brand. The relentless attention to detail and unwillingness to compromise on experience paid off, Black Eye Capitol Hill was recently named one of the 15 hottest new restaurants by Zagat.