IT'S A MAD, MAD WORLD. The pressures of 21st Century life often have us pushing hard.

It's all about the get-up-and-grind; the get-things-done; staying hungry for the hustle – all while perfectly balancing those work/life scales and still keeping ahead of the pack.

No matter who we are, where we are each day, or just how mad our lives really are, one thing still unites us – a desire to pause, to plan, to pace ourselves, to be that little more present. To 'press out the mad-vibes' of this mad, mad world with a perfectly piquant, piping-hot pot of coffee.

Behold! The Mad Press Coffee Co. – Our carefully-cultivated, handcrafted coffee beans will have you putting paid to the pressures of daily life, in just one sip.

We're primed and ready to push out the goodness in every bean, so you're perfectly placed to press out those mad-world vibes any time, day or night.

Our founder is an alumni volunteer and niece of the retired hospital supervisor and chief nurse resident of the Kalaupapa National Historic Park in the Kalaupapa peninsula of the island of Molokai, Hawaii.

When Hansen's disease (Leprosy) was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands, King Kamehameha V had banished all afflicted to the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula on the north shore of Molokai. Throughout over 100 years, the Hawaiian and American governments banished nearly 9,000 leprosy sufferers into exile on a peninsula on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Leprosy at that time, was seen as the next cataclysmic threat. For more than 100 years, anyone diagnosed with the disease was taken to the remote colony. Initially, conditions were horrible, with few services or proper medical treatment. Father Damien, a Belgian missionary, arrived at Molokai in 1873. With time, living conditions improved under his guidance. He worked tirelessly and humbly for years, eventually succumbing to the disease himself and passed away in 1889.

Once a prison, Kalaupapa is now refuge for the few remaining residents who are now cured, but were forced to live their lives in isolation. Kalaupapa now serves as a place for education and contemplation. It is a place where many families in Hawaii can reconnect with a grandparent or relative once considered "lost". It is a place where past suffering has given way to personal pride about accomplishments made in the face of great adversity. It is a place where we can reconsider our responses to people with disfiguring disabilities or illnesses. It is a place where the land has the power to heal - because of its human history, natural history and stunning physical beauty.

With advanced permission, travelers may only access the area by a small plane, hike down by foot (2000 ft. vertical descent over 3 miles with 26 switchbacks - our favorite way), or on the back of a mule.

Mad Press Coffee is dedicated to building awareness and sharing the story, in the preservation of Kalaupapa's history and sustainability. Our Auntie Fe and the leper residents were casted in the 1999 movie, 'Molokai: The Story of Father Damien'.