Freshman Catherine Norris Is Brewing Purpose Through Red Letter Coffee Co.

Belmont supports student with new student pop up coffee cart

When Catherine Norris arrived at Belmont last fall, she didn’t expect her freshman year to include launching a business. But just months into her college experience, Norris is doing exactly that.  

A double major in psychology and entrepreneurship, Norris came to Belmont with a clear goal in mind: to study entrepreneurship — something she hadn’t seen widely offered elsewhere at the undergraduate level. 

Visiting campus “just felt right,” and she knew Belmont was home. 

“Seeing Belmont for the first time — the energy and the people — I loved it,” Norris said. “It was amazing.” 

From ‘Someday’ to Right Now 

The business idea for Red Letter Coffee Co. began as a class assignment during Norris’s senior year of high school. Starting a coffee shop was a dream the Houston native hoped to achieve at some point in her life, but she never imagined launching her business as early as her freshman year of college.   

The Thomas F. Cone Center for Entrepreneurship invites students from all majors to participate in entrepreneurship pitch competitions multiple times throughout the academic year. After seeing underclassmen pitch their business dreams, Norris had a personal realization. 

“I expected it to be mostly seniors,” she said. “But there were freshmen and sophomores pitching real ideas they were already working on. That’s when it hit me — I don’t have to wait.” 

Watching her peers pitch showed her that Belmont is a place where future dreams start right here in the present. 

An Entrepreneurial Community in Action  

Over the course of a few months, Norris's dream has turned into a reality with support from a wide network — professors who connected her with industry contacts, alumni who shared their own startup stories and Cone Center staff who helped her refine her idea into a viable business. 

“All the professors and faculty I've talked to about my business have been so supportive,” she said. “That’s been one of the most surprising parts. People genuinely want to help. You just have to ask.” 

Norris has also found invaluable mentors along the way, like Paloma Tavares, Cone Center program coordinator.  

A Belmont alumna and founder herself, Tavares guides current students in their entrepreneurial journeys while advancing the Cone Center’s mission to equip students with the skills to build and launch transformative ideas. 

“Paloma has been the biggest mentor,” Norris shared. “She talked to me about slowing down and she has given me the best advice in so many different ways.”   

Learning by Doing in Real Time 

Norris’s story reflects a broader Belmont experience. Students in the Jack C. Massey College of Business and other colleges move seamlessly between the classroom and the real world. Whether launching new ventures or leading projects with community impact, students consistently apply their learning as it happens.  

For Norris, courses in accounting, business law and business ethics are directly shaping how she budgets, tracks expenses and defines success. Her dual credit coursework in high school enabled her to dive into classes that directly support the work she’s doing with Red Letter Coffee Co. 

“Studying entrepreneurship and launching a business side-by-side has been incredible,” she said. “I never touched Excel before college, but we use it in my accounting class and now I’ve been able to apply that skill set to budgeting. It’s been game changing.” 

Faith at the Center 

Red Letter Coffee Co. is an extension of Norris's Christian faith. “Red Letter” refers to the words of Jesus printed in red ink in many Bibles and each cups features Scripture spoken by Christ. 

“Coffee has always been a place of comfort and connection for me,” she said. “I wanted to create something that reminds people of hope, even in small ways.” 

In addition to classic drinks like an Americano, flat white and chai latte, Red Letter Coffee Co. offers specialty beverages with biblically inspired names including the signature Red Letter latter, Eden (a lavender-blackberry latte finished with lavender cold foam), Galilee (made with toasted fig, thyme and Mediterranean sea salt) and other specialty drinks.  

Each cup offers what Norris hopes is a quiet moment of encouragement for moving through busy days. 

“Sometimes people just need a reminder that they’re seen and loved,” she said. 

Looking Ahead 

The Red Letter Coffee Co. pop-up cart is available Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m. and Saturdays from 10-noon at House Of, one of Belmont’s student-run stores off Belmont Boulevard. 

Norris’s journey of launching Red Letter Coffee Co. perfectly shows how Belmont inspires, encourages and supports students as they pursue both their education and their dreams.  

As a freshman, Norris is still exploring what the future holds — from growing her business to studying abroad and getting involved in campus life. With so many paths ahead, she may not yet know exactly what comes next, but one thing is clear: choosing Belmont was the right decision. 

“After being here, I couldn’t picture college any other way,” Norris said. “The first semester was already amazing, but the second semester is getting better and better.”