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Alisa Lippincott Morkides �75
2007 Alumna of the Year

Speaking at the 2007 Alumna of the Year event, Chris Morkides said that his wife and the guest of honor, Alisa Lippincott Morkides ’75, was surprised when she heard she had been chosen for the award. “Did they get it right?”, Alisa had asked him. Chris spoke briefly about Alisa’s business success and community leadership as founder and owner of Brew Ha Ha! and then went on, as he said, to talk about some things “that aren’t on the bio.” He talked about the changes Alisa had brought about in him and about her as a mother to the daughter they adopted from China. Chris concluded, “Yes, Friends School did get it right” in choosing Alisa for the award.

A sense of family and the transformative power of relationships were themes throughout the Alumna of the Year event.

When Alisa spoke in accepting the award, she described herself before arriving at Friends for 10th grade: “I had a history of doing poorly in school. I did not want to go to college. I had no real enthusiasm for education…It was a make or break time for me.” Alisa credited her mother with making it possible for her to attend Friends; her mom, she said, “believed so strongly in my education” and went to work to help pay the tuition. That model of commitment inspired Alisa, as she said, “to take my education seriously.”

It wasn’t easy, she said. “Everyone seemed smarter than I was…The standards were high. I could see that the caliber of education at Friends was beyond anything that I had experienced.” At that “turning point” in her life, Alisa said, “What made the difference for me were my teachers. They helped me to get over my fears of failure, and along the way, they instilled in me a passion for learning that has never left me....Because the school was able to attract great and caring teachers, the best in me was able to come out. Future life challenges—starting a business, raising a child—would be easier as a result. I know that this story has played out many times at Friends School over the years. One of the things I treasure most about my Quaker heritage is the strong belief that everyone, regardless of economic or social circumstances, deserves an opportunity to be the best they can be.”

Alisa went on from Friends to earn a B.S. in Chemistry from Bucknell University. She spent a brief time working as bench chemist for the Upjohn Company, but realizing that chemistry was not her passion, she went back to school and earned an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For the next ten years, Alisa worked in the finance departments at several companies, including Rohm & Haas and the Franklin Mint.

Alisa then decided to pursue the dream of opening her own business, initially planning to launch an investment-counseling firm. A 1993 trip to Italy changed her plans, when she was inspired by the “coffee experience” in Florence. Alisa had found her passion and returned home determined to open Wilmington’s first bona fide espresso café, offering not only the highest quality coffee and espresso but also a place for neighbors to gather and linger, something she felt had been lost in the fast-food culture.

The first Brew Ha Ha! opened in Greenville’s Powder Mill Square in December 1993. Alisa now operates 12 coffeehouses, 10 in Delaware, one in Philadelphia and one in Maryland. Brew Ha Ha! has earned numerous quality awards as well as recognition as the fastest-growing privately held firm in Philadelphia (1998) and on Inc. 500 magazine’s list of fastest-growing private companies in the United States (1999).

Asked about the cornerstones of her approach to business, Alisa said, “honesty and integrity,” adding, “We’re committed to a long-term business strategy that will keep us in the community for many years to come.” As part of her commitment to community, Alisa participates in the Local Artist Program through the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (DCCA), and serves as a mentor for women business owners. She is also a corporate sponsor of Habitat for Humanity, the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, the Delaware College of Art & Design (DCAD), the Grand Opera House, the United Way, and many other smaller charities. And she is, as Head of School Bryan Garman said at the award presentation, “a great friend to Friends School,” including her annual sponsorship of “Books Ah Ha!” which highlights the school’s library and the joys of reading.

But in many ways, as Chris Morkides said, it was the qualities in Alisa that aren’t “on the bio,” the importance of relationships in her life, that were most in evidence at the Alumna of the Year event, Alisa concluded her remarks, “I accept this award on behalf of the my mother, who made it possible for me to attend the school; my teachers, who gave me confidence and a passion for learning; my husband, who is a true friend who believes in me whether I succeed or fail; and my beautiful daughter Kina, who is a gift from God.”

Click here for 2006 Alum of the Year