Lecture Description
Ethiopia, Senegal, and Uganda have developed unique coffee cultures that can facilitate adaptation and development of specialty coffee consumption in Africa and beyond. The panel discussion with short presentations will be made by Dagmawi I. Eminetu and Muna D. Lobe and is based on a qualitative research undertaking in the three countries with regards to historical roots and socio-economic significance of the selected consumption cultures for developing narratives that facilitate the development of specialty coffee from seed to cup. The panel discussion will also connect the business, science, and sustainability of coffee and their intersection to explore emerging opportunity for market linkages and development with regards to emerging trends in the specialty coffee sector. In this regard, the emerging and soon to be relevant African coffee market will be the focus as the new frontier for specialty coffee sector.
Date: Friday, April 12, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Room Number: S401ABC
Instructors
Dagmawi Iyasu Eminetu
Dagmawi Iyasu Eminetu considers himself a serial entrepreneur and actively integrates the health, education, tourism, and coffee sectors into his daily work. He holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology (USA) and a Master in Coffee Economics and Science (Italy).
Dagmawi I.E. has over 25 years of work experience at various capacities in the United States and Africa. He currently works for Grounds for Health (Vermont, USA) as the Director of Programs and Eshi Safaris LLC (Delaware, USA) as Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He also provides strategic support to YA Coffee Roasters and New Phase Trading and Coffee Services PLC (Ethiopia) as Co-founder and Innovation Advisor.
Dagmawi I.E. is passionate about and committed to cervical cancer elimination in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) and telling research based African coffee stories that transform the lives of smallholder farmers, women, and young people in coffee growing communities. The later is a passion project that is meant to facilitate value addition and integration into the global specialty coffee culture.
Muna Lobé (she/her)
Communications Expert
My name is Muna D. Lobé and I am a cultural anthropologist and comparative sociologist by training, of Caribbean and African heritage.
I am also an experienced creative director, skilled communicator and marketer and passionate African contemporary art curator.
Over the past fifteen years, I have honed significant competencies and experience in consulting, strategic communication and marketing, media relations, content creation and branding. Through the founding of a boutique strategy consulting firm, I have meticulously crafted and supported communication strategies for emerging and established organizations internationally.
I have resided and worked in many locales across the world: Europe, the United States, West and East Africa, the Caribbean and have settled in Dakar, Senegal almost five years ago where I also co-founded a creative design studio.