A COFFEE SHOP WITH A MISSION

AFTER 11 YEARS OF CARING FOR DISPLACED CHILDREN, RYAN AND SARA SENTERS CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THOSE WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF THE SYSTEM CAN LEARN TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL ADULTS

- BRIAN BRANT

At Hānai, a casual cafe in Laveen, Ariz., there’s more to love than the caramel macchiato and acai bowls on the menu. “There’s a sense of family and community, like the place is part of something bigger,” says Ryan Senters, 40, who opened the restaurant in 2022 with his wife, Sara, 39. Hānai is staffed, in part, by teens who are aging out of the foster care system. They not only earn money but also invaluable, hands-on work experience that will help them succeed in the next phase of their lives.