Lecture Description
Women are involved in all segments of the coffee value chain, including the peripheral support network. From producers to baristas and scientists, women play a significant role in the second largest traded global commodity. Their contributions have created significant economic, scientific, and social impact. Although they have faced many barriers, particularly the undereducated small coffee producer in emerging economies, they have also made great strides. There has been a significant increase over the past 20 years of female leadership in the coffee industry and taking up decision-making roles., including women who are joining or organizing their own cooperatives, cooperative managers, coffee buyers, roasters, baristas, Q graders, coffee shop owners, scientists, etc. That women play a large role in the global coffee value chain is widely known, but research and development efforts have mostly focused on women at the producer level. As the coffee industry faces challenges of changing land/growing conditions, consumer tastes and market demands, it's important to hear and understand their roles directly from them, consider their lessons learned, advice and knowledge, all which are important to better equip the next generation of women and men to face the challenges and opportunities of the coming decades.
Date: Sunday, April 14, 2024
Time: 9:00am - 10:00am
Room Number: S401D
Panelists
Grayson Caldwell (she/her)
Director Sustainability & Impact, Bellwether
Grayson Caldwell is the Senior Sustainability Manager at Bellwether Coffee. With over 10 years of experience working in sustainable development and a Masters in Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, she has dedicated her career to improving livelihoods. Prior to joining Bellwether, Grayson worked with Hunter College NYC's Food Policy Center, the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, the Peace Corps, and nonprofits TechnoServe, Hot Bread Kitchen, and Ashoka.
Amaris Gutierrez-Ray (she/her)
Senior Director of Coffee & Roasting, Joe Coffee Company / Women in Coffee Project
Amaris Gutierrez-Ray is the Senior Director of Coffee & Roasting for Joe Coffee Company in New York City. She is also the founder of the Northeast Roaster Forum (RIP) and the Women in Coffee Project. A lover of stories and the people that tell them, she has always been interested in the culture and communities of the world in coffee. Both inside and outside the workplace, she's focused on gender, equity, and positively shifting the human patterns that shape our world.
Kyle Engelman (she/her)
Executive Director, Grounds for Health
Kyle Engelman is Executive Director of Grounds for Health, an organization committed to preventing cervical cancer in coffee communities through partnership, innovation and learning. Kyle is passionate about women's health and social impact and values the specialty coffee industry's commitment to recognizing that great coffee starts with healthy women and farmers. Kyle holds a Master’s in Public Health from UCBerkeley, a BA from Dartmouth College, and a Bachelor’s of Nursing from UMass Amherst. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Teopista Nakkungu (she/her)
Regional Chapter Manager Africa, IWCA
Teopista Nakkungu is a seasoned coffee professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry. With a passion for promoting gender equity and sustainability, Teopista has been actively involved in various initiatives to empower women across the coffee value chain. Currently serving as Regional Coordinator for Africa and the Middle East at IWCA Global, Teopista has been pivotal in driving positive change within the industry through innovative strategies and collaborative partnerships. Their expertise spans from coffee sourcing and production to marketing and consumer engagement, providing a holistic perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing women in coffee.
Sylvia Calfat (she/her)
Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA)
Sylvia Calfat, Sr. Project Manager at COSA, spearheads innovative sustainability programs in Latin America and Africa, collaborating with various sectors. Sylvia is currently leading the GIZ-ICO CPPTF’s technical workstream on market transparency, empowering national institutions to collect rigorous data on cost of production, actual income, and supply chain efficiency to drive sustainability. Sylvia is also co-leading pilots on agile technology for data collection with the Gates Foundation and coordinating the GIZ-DIASCA workgroup, setting standards for income and cost of production data interoperability. Previously, she led sustainability projects at BSD Consulting, engaged in GRI work, and served as certification manager at FLO-CERT.
Moderator
Ruth Ann Church (she/her)
President, Artisan Coffee Imports
Ruth Ann Church founded Artisan Coffee Imports in 2009 with the mission to trade coffee in sustainable ways that improve the lives of farmers. She brings a strong background in economic development and twenty years of experience in international business. A Michigan State University project, 2015 – 2018, allowed her to live and work professionally in Rwanda, which is when she began sourcing Rwandan, women-grown coffee. Consulting clients include Sustainable Growers Rwanda and Rainforest Alliance. Church was a volunteer board member for the IWCA, 2015 – 2019, and is a frequent presenter at coffee industry events such as Re:Co Symposium.