We're The Atlas Collective.
The idea for the Atlas Collective came to be when founder, Kara Taghon struggled to find what she calls a “third space.” A third space isn’t your home or school, but a place outside of those things where you can simply exist. Whether you come to us to work, to be with friends or to take a breather from your routine with a coffee and a book- we are here for you. The AC became Kara’s passion project at the end of 2022. The store needed to reflect what was in her heart. This included a cozy atmosphere to read, delicious coffee and gorgeous plants surrounding the space. After struggling for months to find a building, the chips fell into place and we finally found our building in August 2023. With the help of two amazing team members, our families and SO many others in the community, we opened our doors on January 6th, 2024.
Meet our Team.
Kara Taghon, Founder & CEO
Kara Taghon is the founder and CEO of The Atlas Collective. A Chicago suburb native, Kara moved to the Quad Cities in 2019 and fell in love with the community. She's passionate about creating a safe place in the Quad Cities that folks of all walks of life can gather and grow in.
In her downtime, Kara loves to read, embroider, play with her dogs, and play Mario Kart with her partner, Jordan. Kara hand raised the majority of the plants you'll find in The Atlas Collective. When you purchase a propagation, you're taking home a piece of TAC!
Elijah Israel, Caffeine Overlord
Elijah Israel is The Atlas Collective's Caffeine Overlord. Born and raised in Rock Island, he's enjoyed a wide variety of Quad Cities coffee over the years. As a kid, he loved experiencing downtown Moline and Rock Island thriving and dreams of revitalizing them for future generations to come.
When Elijah isn't slinging your coffees, you can find him as the Dungeon Master of his own DnD group or at the gym. He has so many coffee projects in store that he can't wait to share with this community!
Brooke Matheis, Creative Director
Brooke Matheis is our Creative Director at The Atlas Collective. She believes business and graphic design go hand in hand and she's thrilled that she gets to create visually appealing products for the store. This includes marketing materials, social media, and in-house stationery design! Brooke also hosts our monthly book club meetings.
When she's not reading or drawing, Brooke can be found spending time with her 2 kids, 3 dogs, and wonderful husband.
