FEATURE reported having built foundational skills, increased social capital, increased earning power, and experienced healing through the program, according to a 2021 alumni survey. Additionally, Prodigy has paid over $2 million in wages to its apprentices — money it considers to be an investment into the underserved and struggling communities where apprentices have roots. Beyond its community service efforts, Prodigy has received national recognition for its coffee. USA Today has previously included Prodigy on its list of top 10 coffee shops in the country, claiming that its product “feels as good as it tastes.” Prodigy recently announced a new line of craft syrup, scaling up production of its in-house recipes to commercial levels. Working out of CSU Spur’s commissary kitchen, apprentices are learning different aspects of mass syrup production, such as bottling, label design, and marketing. The team has recently begun marketing their wholeingredient product to some of the nearly 900 coffee shops in the Denver metro area. At the time of writing, Prodigy is gearing up for a new round of apprentices whose training began in mid-February. Largeand small-batch syrup products are currently available on its website. Shahrezaei said that the future remains bright for Prodigy and its apprentices. “We understand that this is not going to be a forever career,” she said. “But it’s a stabilizing one.” PHOTO COURTESY OF PRODIGY COFFEE PHOTO COURTESY OF PRODIGY COFFEE March 2025 DENVER VOICE 7
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