Origin Story
After a trip to China right before the COVID-19 pandemic, William gained exposure to traditional Chinese tea culture for the first time by visiting tea vendors and teahouses with his mom. As a Chinese-born Canadian, William sought to learn more about his cultural roots and history.
Having always been fascinated by people and culture, William noticed that tea brought people together. Countries worldwide have unique ways of consuming and sharing tea. Tea isn’t simply a caffeinated beverage for consumption, it is an experience – like a “social lubricant”.
Becoming deeply curious about global cultures and their tea practices, he began sharing the tea experience with friends and students on campus while developing a particular interest in Chinese tea culture.
Founding the Club at Wake Forest University
In the Fall of 2020, as students returned to campus after a partial semester away in the spring, William saw a sign reading 茶室 (Tea Room) on the nameplate of a very plain door in the basements of Tribble Hall. This spurred a friendship and mission to build a club where any students could join and build friendships while enjoying quality tea.
The club received its official Charter from the Wake Forest University Office of Student Engagement in Fall of 2021 and received its first funding Fall of 2022. The club quickly gained popularity and became a haven for tea lovers on campus.
William and other dedicated student leaders bootstrapped enough resources to build one of the largest clubs on campus (over 100 active members) before receiving funding from the university.
Today, the Wake Forest University Tea Club touches over 500 students annually, continuing to thrive and foster friendships and a love for tea within its campus community.
The Boom
WTA@WFU continued to grow, eventually seating over 200 unique students at tea sessions each semester. By Spring of 2023, the year that the first cohort of WTA student executives graduated, the club was hosting 5-6 daily tea session each week in addition to 2-3 campus-wide events each month. Most events were collaborations with Academic departments and other student organizations.
The inclusive and relatable nature of WTA made it easy to find groups to collaborate with.
Ongoing Mission
After graduating, the student leaders from WTA@WFU still held the flame of passion for the Tea Association. It was quickly decided that they needed to bring this passion and experience to students around the world.
In order to create a world class organization, many advocates for the new non-profit reached into their networks to recruit some of the most experienced and knowledgeable tea enthusiasts in the USA and beyond. The founding Board of Trustees was formed in February 2024 immediately after the organization official established itself with the State of North Carolina. The organization received recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization in April of 2024.