Maria Uspenski, an engineer by trade who spent years working with IBM, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at a young age. A single mom with two teenaged girls, she was determined to fight back. Maria’s research on fighting cancer led her to tea, especially loose-leaf tea. The numbers amazed her: women who drink two-plus cups of green tea a day reduce their risk and recurrence of ovarian cancer by 60%. For women drinking five cups a day, the risk was cut by 80%. Maria started drinking tea each day with her daughters, and ended up beating ovarian cancer — twice. Her experience inspired her to create her own company, The Tea Spot, based in her hometown of Boulder, Colo. The Tea Spot not only blends healthful and tasty loose-leaf teas, but also manufactures a line of Steepware products that make enjoying these teas easy and stylish.