Lecture Description
The specialty coffee market is booming, yet 62% of coffee shops fail within the first five years of business. How can coffee retail entrepreneurs set themselves up for success? This panel, featuring dynamic voices from successful entrepreneurs, mentors, and industry leaders, will explore different approaches to the industry’s biggest challenges - from bridging capital gaps to building scalable, ethical businesses. We will discuss the power of collaboration and design thinking, and showcase how emerging coffee shops can compete and win in the market, through tailored mentorship, funding, and community support.
This panel will also introduce the Coffee Futures Fund (CFF), an innovative, mentorship-driven funding model to double the success rate of specialty coffee retail. As the official launch of CFF, attendees will gain first access to a transformative program for coffee entrepreneurs.
Date: Sunday April 27, 2025
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: Room 350DEF
Category: Business
Access: This lecture is free to attend with a Specialty Coffee Expo entry badge. Register to attend Specialty Coffee Expo here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat.
Speakers
Akshat Khandelwal (he/him)
Founder, Coffee Futures Fund
Akshat Khandelwal is the founder of Coffee Futures Fund (CFF), a first-of-its-kind initiative that provides capital and mentorship to emerging specialty coffee entrepreneurs. With a background in brand storytelling and business strategy, he is also the founder of Coffee Owners Roundtable, a global community of coffee owners that he started during the pandemic to offer peer support and collaboration. Through CFF, he aims to transform the coffee industry’s success rate, helping independent shops thrive. At the SCA Expo 2025, Akshat will lead a panel discussion on the future of specialty coffee entrepreneurship and the role of strategic investment in scaling impact.