Guest Speaker
Angela Garland is the Founder and CEO of Exit 11 Coffee, a specialty coffee company
headquartered in Washington, Missouri. What began as workspace & coffee shop model in 2015 has grown into eight high-performing drive-thru coffee locations, an expanding coffee roastery, and a growing wholesale and retail operation.
Under Angela’s leadership, Exit 11 Coffee has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s
Fastest-Growing Private Companies for three consecutive years, recognized on the St. Louis
Business Journal’s Fast 50 (2024 & 2025), and selected as one of the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce CO-100 Top Small Businesses in America, SBM Top Women Business Owners and
SBM Future 50 and most recently UMSL’s Entrepreneur of the Year for 2025 . These honors
reflect not only rapid growth, but a commitment to excellence, innovation, and strong company culture.
Angela’s entrepreneurial journey spans more than three decades. She launched and later sold her first company, OffiStart Business Centers, earned her MBA from UMSL, and served as a
franchise business consultant and coworking strategist before founding Exit 11. In 2018, she and her husband, Scott, opened their first drive-thru coffee stand out of a bright orange trailer—built on the belief that fast service and genuine connection can coexist.
Angela and Scott just celebrated their 11 th wedding anniversary and they are in their 11 th year of business. Angela has a passion for hospitality and believes that the business belongs to God and she is just a steward. She works every day to put her ego in check and remember she is here to serve the 85 women and few good men that work at Exit 11 as well as the thousands of customers that come to their stores each day.
She is a proud mother of four and grandmother of four+, and believes that success is most meaningful when it’s shared with family and community.