June Tran - Owner - Crema Coffee & Pier 402 Restaurant
June Tran escaped Vietnam with her family on April 30, 1975- the same day that Saigon fell to the communist regime. Her family boarded a U.S. Naval ship headed to Guam, where they stayed for a few months before relocating to Camp Pendleton in San Diego. It was then that her family was sponsored by a North Carolinian family in 1976. As the only Vietnamese family in this little town of North Carolina, June, the eldest of 6, took it upon herself to learn English to communicate with those around her. Two years later, her family once again relocated to California. They have been Bay Area residents since.
After graduating from San Jose State University in 1985 with a major in Audiology and a minor in Psychology, June began her 25-year career as a specialist for the mentally ill and became a leader in helping Asian American communities. Today, she is a business owner and coffee enthusiast. Her plight as a Vietnamese refugee and experience as a social worker were strong propellers in helping her to follow her dream. This dream was to create a space where people from all walks of life (students, families, community leaders, etc.) could come together and enjoy its ambiance and product. June and her husband, who is also an avid coffee enthusiast, did extensive research on the coffee making process and even learned how to roast and mix their own beans. The Crema Coffee Roasting Company was thus born in 2007.
Still itching for other ways to give back to her community, June became involved with local and federal elections. She has also supported numerous churches, schools, and community activities and events. Circling back to her degree in Audiology, June wanted to help those who are deaf or hard of hearing find a way to smoothly integrate themselves into the work force. She teamed up with the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s post-secondary program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, giving students an opportunity to gain work experience by employing them at her two Crema locations. This enables students to find work after graduating, using Crema as a reference on their job applications. They also have the option to join the Crema Team as full-time staff. In fact, two recent graduates from the county program have joined the Crema team permanently.
June Tran will be honored at the NBC Bay Area & AACI Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Awards Ceremony.
