With the goal of facilitating spaces where our coffee community can build relationships among different stakeholders, we will continue with Green Coffee Connect in 2025, a space created to promote promising connections in the coffee industry.
Con el objetivo facilitar espacios donde nuestra comunidad cafetera construya relaciones entre los diferentes actores, este año 2025 continuamos con Green Coffee Connect, un espacio creado para promover las relaciones promisioras en la industria del café.
Welcome to Green Coffee Connect, presented by Barista Attitude, an event at the forefront of fostering an inclusive environment for shared knowledge and networking for the green coffee industry. In 2025, our event will offer a dynamic platform for participants to engage in enriching learning experiences and forge valuable connections.
Join us for Green Coffee Conversations, where industry experts share their insights and expertise to the World of Coffee community, offering participants invaluable lessons to elevate their coffee businesses. Whether you’re an experienced green coffee trader or someone just exploring this sector of our industry for the very first time, we invite you to join us to learn, grow, and connect.
At Green Coffee Connect, we believe in the power of connection and knowledge-sharing to drive positive change within the coffee community. Best of all, participation is entirely free, ensuring accessibility for all who wish to join us on this journey of growth and collaboration. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect, learn, and thrive at Green Coffee Connect 2025.
Bienvenido a Green Coffee Connect, programa patrocinado por Barista Attitude, como un evento a la vanguardia que fomenta un ambiente inclusivo para el intercambio de conocimientos y contactos dentro de la industria de café. En 2025, nuestro evento ofrecerá una plataforma dinámica para que los participantes se involucren en experiencias de aprendizaje enriquecedoras y forjen valiosas conexiones.
Te invitamos a participar en Green Coffee Conversations, donde los expertos de la industria compartirán sus conocimientos y experiencia con la comunidad del World of Coffee, ofreciendo a los participantes lecciones invaluables para elevar sus conocimientos en los negocios de café. Puedes participar siendo una persona con mucha experiencia en la industria o alguien que está explorando este sector de nuestra industria por primera vez, te invitamos a unirte a nosotros para aprender, crecer y conectar.
En Green Coffee Connect, creemos en el poder de la conexión y el intercambio de conocimientos para impulsar un cambio positivo dentro de la comunidad cafetera. Lo mejor de todo, la participación es totalmente gratuita, asegurando la accesibilidad para todos los que deseen unirse a nosotros en este viaje de crecimiento y colaboración. No pierdas esta oportunidad de conectar, aprender y prosperar en Green Coffee Connect 2025.
Green Coffee Connect Schedule of Events
More information about specific sessions and features are available in the feature descriptions below.
Friday, April 25
10:30am - 5:00pm
10:30am - 10:45am
Green Coffee Connect Welcome
10:45am - 11:15am
Re:Co Spotlight Findings
11:15am - 12:45pm
TASTING
Unveiling the Science and Identity
of Coffee
1:30pm - 2:45pm
CONVERSATION
Days, Not Months: Tracking Coffee
Production Costs in Real-Time
2:45pm - 4:00pm
CONVERSATION
PASO A PASO: Farmer-Owned
Coffee, Redefining Equity & Overcoming Challenges
4:00pm - 5:00pm
PARTY
Sip & Greet
Saturday, April 26
10:15am - 5:00pm
10:15am - 11:45am
TASTING
A Full-Body Sensory Journey: Exploring
Coffee Through All Your Senses
11:45am - 1:15pm
CONVERSATION
Breaking Into the US Market:
A Roundtable Conversation
2:00pm - 3:30pm
CONVERSATION
Innovation Exhibition:
Circular Economy and
Regenerative Agriculture
4:00pm - 5:00pm
PARTY
Sip & Greet
Sunday, April 27
10:30am - 1:00pm
Sip, Connect & Reflect: A Sunday Session on Coffee & Wellness
Events
Eventos
Friday, April 25 Viernes, 25 de Abril
10:30am - 10:45am
Green Coffee Connect Welcome
Bienvenida a Green Coffee Connect
Kim Elena Ionescu, Specialty Coffee Association
Friday, April 25 Viernes, 25 de Abril
10:45am - 11:15am
Re:co Spotlight Findings
Hallazgos durante el evento de Re:co Spotlight
Mario Fernandez, PhD, Technical Officer, SCA
The specialty coffee industry is evolving, and so is Re:co. In this 40-minute session at Green Coffee Connect, we’ll share key takeaways from the reimagined Re:co Spotlight—a collaborative space where experts, producers, and industry leaders tackle critical questions and shape the future of coffee. Get an exclusive first look at the insights driving the conversation ahead of the 2025 Specialty Coffee Expo in Houston.
La industria de los cafés especiales está en constante evolución, y Re:co también. En esta sesión de 40 minutos en Green Coffee Connect, compartiremos las principales conclusiones de la renovada experiencia Re:co Spotlight, un espacio colaborativo donde expertos, productores y líderes del sector abordan preguntas clave y ayudan a dar forma al futuro del café. Obtén un adelanto exclusivo de los hallazgos que marcarán la conversación rumbo al Specialty Coffee Expo 2025 en Houston.
Friday, April 25 Viernes, 25 de Abril
11:15am - 12:45pm
TASTING: Unveiling the Science and Identity of Coffee
DEGUSTACIÓN: Revelando la Ciencia e Identidad del Café
Tasting Facilitators:
Hernando Tapasco, Q Processing Instructor, Cereza Coffee
Valentina Osorio, Scientific Researcher, Quality Discipline National Coffee Research Center - Cenicafé
Olga Lucia Botero, Q grader, Cereza Coffee
Sumérgete en una experiencia de degustación exclusiva en Green Coffee Connect, donde exploraremos la identidad del café a través de una selección curada del evento Spotlight de la SCA. En esta sesión, descubrirás la compleja química, los métodos de procesamiento y los matices sensoriales que definen cada taza. Acompáñanos en una conversación dinámica con expertos de la industria para descubrir nuevas perspectivas sobre la evolución constante del café.
Friday, April 25 Viernes, 25 de Abril
1:30pm - 2:45pm
CONVERSATION: Days, Not Months: Tracking Coffee Production Costs in Real-Time
CONVERSACIÓN: Días, No Meses: Seguimiento en Tiempo Real de los Costos de Producción del Café
Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, Founder and CEO, JNP Coffee
Liam Brody, CEO, COSA (The Committee on Sustainability Assessment)
Step into an exclusive tasting experience at Green Coffee Connect, where coffee’s identity is explored through a curated selection from SCA’s Spotlight event. This session invites you to discover the intricate chemistry, processing methods, and sensory nuances that shape each cup. Engage in a dynamic discussion with industry experts as we unlock new perspectives on coffee’s ever-evolving character.
Con más de siete meses de datos recopilados en campo a través de una innovadora aplicación digital, COSA, el patrocinador JNP Coffee y los propios productores están obteniendo información valiosa gracias a este monitoreo en tiempo real de los costos de producción. Especialmente en un año de fuertes fluctuaciones en los precios del café, el proyecto Costo de Producción & Ingreso Vital está generando resultados clave para la industria.
Friday, April 25 Viernes, 25 de Abril
2:45pm - 4:00pm
CONVERSATION: PASO A PASO: Farmer and Roaster-Owned Coffee, Redefining Equity & Overcoming Challenges
CONVERSACIÓN: Modelo de PASO A PASO: Productores y Tostadores como Copropietarios: Redefiniendo la Equidad y Desafiando el Status Quo
Hester Syoum, Paso a Paso
Can farmers and roasters co-own the coffee supply chain? Paso a Paso, a pioneering roastery in Hannover, Germany, is proving it’s possible. This model shifts power to producers, deepens consumer connections to origin, and challenges traditional trade dynamics. But it comes with hurdles—bureaucratic, financial, and logistical. Join us for a dynamic discussion on the opportunities, challenges, and the future of truly equitable coffee.
Ease into your Sunday at Green Coffee Connect with a session of reflection, learning, and connection. Enjoy a talk on how a photography book led to the creation of a mental health program for women coffee farmers, followed by a mindfulness tasting, a conversation on functional coffees, and a tasting of alternative milks. This is a space to slow down, engage, and explore coffee’s role in self-care and community.
10:30 am – 11:00 am
From Stories to Support: A Photographer’s Journey into Mental Health Care for Women Coffee Farmers with Lucia Bawot, Author & Founder of SANA
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Mindfulness Tasting with Lucia Bawot, Author & Founder of SANA & Lucía Cuéllar GCC Consultant
11:30 am - 12:15 pm
Functional Coffees: Trends, Opportunities, and the Future of the Coffee Industry with Melissa Mackay, SVP of Marketing & Insight, Westrock Coffee Company
12:15 pm – 12:45 pm
Alternative Milk Tasting and Conversation with Nathanael May, Senior Manager, Training and & Specialty Coffee, Campbell’s Foodservice and Deb Kaminski, Director of Foodservice Marketing at Pacific Foods
¿Pueden productores y tostadores ser copropietarios de la cadena de suministro del café? Paso a Paso, una tostadora pionera en Hannover, Alemania, está demostrando que es posible. Este modelo otorga mayor poder a los productores, fortalece el vínculo de los consumidores con el origen y desafía las dinámicas tradicionales del comercio. Sin embargo, también enfrenta desafíos burocráticos, financieros y logísticos. Acompáñanos en una conversación dinámica sobre las oportunidades, los retos y el futuro de un café verdaderamente equitativo.
Friday, April 25 Viernes, 25 de Abril
4:00pm - 5:00pm
COFFEE PARTY: Sip & Greet
Saturday, April 26 Sábado, 26 de Abril
10:15am - 11:45am
TASTING: A Full-Body Sensory Journey: Exploring Coffee Through All Your Senses
DEGUSTACIÓN: Un Viaje Sensorial Completo: Explorando el Café a Través de Todos Tus SentidosTasting Facilitators:
Stephanie Welter-Krause, CEO, Roaster, Swelter Coffee Roasters / TWICE
Amaris Gutierrez-Ray, VP of Coffee, Joe Coffee Company
Giselle Barrera, Founder, Latinas in Coffee
Dynamic session at Green Coffee Connect, hosted by SCA in collaboration with Vuna. Led by Sara Morrocchi and Belen Rivadeneira, we’ll explore key trends in the US Midwest coffee market through a 30-minute-deep dive, followed by roundtable discussions where producers and roasters connect over coffee. Expect candid conversations on supplier relationships, ethical sourcing, and direct trade, plus valuable networking opportunities.
With more than seven months of field data collected through an innovative digital app, COSA, sponsor JNP Coffee, and coffee farmers themselves are gaining insights from this real-time monitoring of the costs of production. Especially in this year of wild fluctuations in coffee prices, the Cost of Production & Living Income project is yielding important results.
Join us for an event where the first half focuses on tasting and connecting over the coffees that were tasted at Re-CO Spotlight, sharing impressions with fellow professionals. In the second half, enjoy the full Coffee Party vibe—relax, mingle, and experience the lively atmosphere of the coffee community. A perfect mix of sensory exploration and networking
Viaje sensorial guiado donde fragancia, aroma, sonido, vista y sabor se unen para dar forma a nuestra experiencia con el café. Explora las cuatro categorías clave de aroma y descubre cómo activar todos tus sentidos en cada sorbo. Abierto a todos los profesionales del café—sin competencia ni juicios—solo un espacio acogedor para que productores, tostadores y amantes del café se conecten.
Saturday, April 26 Sábado, 26 de Abril
11:45am - 1:15pm
CONVERSATION: Breaking into the US Market: A Roundtable Conversation
CONVERSACIÓN: Acceso al Mercado de USA: Discusión en Mesa Redonda
Speakers:
Kelly Amoroso, Senior Coffee and Tea Buyer/Innovation, Allegro Coffee
Anne Costello, Director of Green Coffee, Peace Coffee
Roasters and Traders:
Alex Stoffregen, Green Coffee Buyer, Counter Culture
Tómas Ramirez, Trader, The Coffee Source
Ted Stachura, Director of Coffee, Equator Coffees
Moderators:
Sara Morrocchi, Founder & CEO, VUNA Consulting
Belen Rivadeneira, Global Sustainability Program Manager for Cocoa and Coffee, VUNA Business Coaching
Discover how circular economy and regenerative agriculture are transforming coffee sustainability and creating new business opportunities. In an interactive Innovation Exhibition format, engage in small group dialogues with pioneering entrepreneurs and gain practical insights. The session concludes with key takeaways from the panelists for integrating circular economy into business operations. Co-created with the Center for Circular Economy in Coffee (C4CEC) and International Trade Centre (ITC).
Guided sensory journey where fragrance, aroma, sound, sight, and taste come together to shape our coffee experience. Explore the four key aroma categories and discover how to engage all your senses with every sip. Open to all coffee professionals—no competition, no judgment—just a welcoming space for producers, roasters, and coffee lovers to connect.
Acompáñanos en un evento donde la primera mitad se centrará en catar y conectar a través de los cafés presentados en Re:co Spotlight, compartiendo impresiones con otros profesionales. En la segunda mitad, disfruta al máximo la energía del Coffee Party: relájate, socializa y vive el ambiente vibrante de la comunidad del café. Una combinación perfecta de exploración sensorial y networking.
Sesión dinámica en Green Coffee Connect, organizada por SCA en colaboración con Vuna. Dirigida por Sara Morrocchi y Belén Rivadeneira, exploraremos las principales tendencias del mercado del café en el Medio Oeste en USA a través de un análisis profundo de 30 minutos, seguido de mesas redondas donde productores y tostadores conectarán a través del café. Espera conversaciones abiertas sobre relaciones con proveedores, abastecimiento ético y comercio directo, además de valiosas oportunidades de networking.
Saturday, April 26 Sábado, 26 de Abril
2:00pm - 3:30pm
CONVERSATION: Innovation Exhibition: Circular Economy and Regenerative Agriculture
CONVERSACIÓN: Exhibición de Innovación: Economía Circular y Agricultura Regenerativa
Ricardo Garcia, CEO, Coffee Kreis
Muna Mohammed, CEO and Founder, Eight50 Coffee
Mark Byrne, Co-founder and CEO of Neutrality Co
Moderator: Katherine Oglietti, Coffee Guide Network Coordinator and Co-Coordinator for the Center for Circular Economy in Coffee (C4CEC)
Descubre cómo la economía circular y la agricultura regenerativa están transformando la sostenibilidad del café y generando nuevas oportunidades de negocio. En un formato interactivo de Exhibición de Innovación, participa en diálogos en pequeños grupos con emprendedores pioneros y obtén conocimientos prácticos. La sesión concluirá con las principales conclusiones de los panelistas sobre la integración de la economía circular en las operaciones comerciales. Co-creado con el Centro para la Economía Circular en el Café (C4CEC) y el Centro de Comercio Internacional (ITC).
Saturday, April 26 Sábado, 26 de Abril
4:00pm - 5:00pm
COFFEE PARTY: Sip & Greet
Join us for a networking event where roasters, importers, and coffee professionals connect over coffee. The first half will focus on tasting and sharing impressions, while the second half brings the full Coffee Party vibe—relax, mingle, and enjoy the lively atmosphere. Roasters and importers and others will bring their favorite coffees to share, and participants will rotate to connect with diverse contacts.
Únete a un evento de networking donde tostadores, importadores y profesionales del café se conectan a través del café. La primera mitad se centrará en catar y compartir impresiones, mientras que la segunda traerá toda la energía del Coffee Party: relájate, socializa y disfruta del ambiente vibrante. Tostadores, importadores y otros traerán sus cafés favoritos para compartir, y los participantes rotarán para conectarse con una amplia variedad de contactos.
Sunday, April 27 Domingo, 27 de Abril
10:30am - 1:00pm
Sip, Connect & Reflect:
A Sunday Session on Coffee & Wellnes
Degusta, Conecta y Reflexiona:
Una Sesión sobre el Café y el Bienestar
Comienza tu domingo en Green Coffee Connect con una sesión de reflexión, aprendizaje y conexión. Disfruta de una charla sobre cómo un libro de fotografía inspiró la creación de un programa de salud mental para mujeres caficultoras, seguida de una degustación de mindfulness, una conversación sobre cafés funcionales y una cata de leches alternativas. Este es un espacio para relajarte, participar y explorar el papel del café en el cuidado personal y la comunidad.
10:30 am – 11:00 am
¿Cómo una fotógrafa termina construyendo programas de salud mental para mujeres Caficultoras? con Lucia Bawot, Author & Founder of SANA
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Degustación con Atención Plena (Mindfullness) con Lucia Bawot, Author & Founder of SANA & Lucía Cuéllar GCC Consultant
11:30 am - 12:15 pm
Cafés Funcionales: Tendencias, Oportunidades y el Futuro de la Industria del Café con Melissa Mackay, SVP of Marketing & Insight, Westrock Coffee Company
12:15 pm – 12:45 pm
Degustación y Conversación sobre Leches Alternativas con Nathanael May, Senior Manager, Training and & Specialty Coffee, Campbell’s Foodservice and Deb Kaminski, Director of Foodservice Marketing at Pacific Foods
We would like to thank our program content collaborators:
Agradecemos a nuestros colaboradores de creación de contenido del programa de Green Coffee Connect:
Green Coffee Conversations
Speakers & Panelists
Amaris Gutierrez-Ray
VP of Coffee, Joe Coffee Company
Amaris Gutierrez-Ray is the VP of Coffee for Joe Coffee Company, a roaster in New York City that owns and operates 25 cafes in the 5 boroughs. She was the founder of the Women in Coffee Project, and is now a collaborative co-founder of TWICE (Team Women in Coffee Exchange). 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.
Belen Rivadeneira
Global Sustainability Program Manager for Cocoa and Coffee, VUNA Business Coaching
Belen's shared passion for corporate sustainability and agribusiness competitiveness led her to start her career in specialty coffee and cocoa. She is recognized for her field-based experience working with over 150 community members and businesses within a global supply chain to drive the sustainable development of two of the world’s largest commodities. Belen brings a decade of experience in sustainability standards and corporate regulations to her current role at VUNA Coffee School, where she is dedicated to educating and inspiring coffee producers to become better partners at origin.
Giselle Barrera
Founder, Latinas in Coffee
Giselle is the founder of Latinas in Coffee, an online community that connects, supports, and features women from Latin America working in the coffee industry.
As a business consultant she has led multiple business incubator programs for coffee entrepreneurs that provide trainings on marketing, financial planning, and seed grant opportunities for coffee producers.
She is also the co-founder of TWICE coffee an initiative working towards opening a pathway to gender equity within quality control in coffee.
Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian
Chief Executive Officer, JNP Coffee
Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, owner, and manager of JNP Coffee, advances the global specialty coffee industry and farmers in her native Burundi, East Africa, by producing, promoting, and trading the specialty coffee grown there. With an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School and a 20-plus-year international career, she entered the coffee industry in 2012.
A strong advocate for women coffee farmers in Burundi, Jeanine supports high-quality production through Dushime® premium incentives for high-scoring coffee, lessons in financial literacy, and leadership skills. Jeanine is committed to educating Burundi’s people for the economic empowerment of self-sustaining coffee communities. She was named to the Sprudge 20 in April 2023.
A current SCA board member, Jeanine is a Licensed Q Grader and certified Q processor Level 1. She was previously SCA Northeast Regional Coordinator, Community Coordinator for the SCA U.S. Chapter, and host of frequent online Business Chats with a wide range of experts on the coffee industry.
Kelly Amoroso
Senior Coffee and Tea Buyer, Allegro Coffee Company
Kelly Amoroso is the Senior Coffee and Tea Buyer at Whole Foods Market/Allegro Coffee Company bringing over 20 years of experience in the coffee and tea industry. She has played a key role as a buyer, quality control manager, Q Instructor, and certified Q Grader for more than 18 years. With vast experience across Latin America, Africa and Asia, Kelly has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for producers through responsibly sourced coffee and tea purchases.
Lucia Bawot
Author & Founder of Sana
Lucia Bawot is passionate about transforming ideas into tangible projects. Her motto is: “Make the invisible visible.”
After a decade of working with more than 12 leading companies in the coffee industry to form supply-chain narratives and communicate the values of their sustainability projects, in March of 2023, Lucia marked a new chapter in her professional career and published her debut book, We Belong: An Anthology of Colombian Women Coffee Farmers. We Belong is now an award-winning book (2nd place in Sprudgie Awards 2024 & 3rd place in Gourmand 2024 Awards)and some of the content was exhibited at the Photoville Festival 2024.
Currently, Lucia is building SANA, an NGO that provides accessible and culturally sensitive mental health care programs to women in coffee farming. Powered by digital tools like teletherapy and prioritizing community-driven support.
Last but not least, Lucia is Colombian, a “montañera”, and has coffee roots that extend deep within her family. Even though she lives in the United States and has spent most of her life outside of her country, she takes refuge in and empowers herself through, the stories of her land, her family, and her childhood experience.
Mark Byrne
CEO, Neutrality Co.
Mark Byrne is co-founder and CEO of Neutrality Co., a producer of carbon-negative ethanol that works with the fruit waste byproduct of coffee. Prior to founding Neutrality Co., in 2015, he served as an editor at GQ Magazine and a brand development consultant to the spirits trade. Neutrality Co.'s first consumer product, Good Liquorworks Vodka, was released in 2020; it has been widely recognized as one of the most sustainable spirits in the world. The company's second product, an industrial 2G ethanol, launched this year. Neutrality Co. opened its flagship distillery in Costa Rica in 2024.
Melissa Mackay
SVP Marketing and Insight, Westrock Coffee
Melissa is a seasoned marketing executive with extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, backed by an MBA in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University. As the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Insight at Westrock Coffee Company, she applies her deep expertise in market analytics and strategic brand development. Previously, Melissa served as Vice President of North America Marketing at Fresh Del Monte and held various key roles at Farmer Brothers, where she enhanced her coffee industry knowledge and led impactful marketing initiatives. Known for her analytical prowess and dynamic marketing approach, Melissa consistently drives growth and innovation across her roles.
Muna Mohammed
Founder/CEO, Eight50 Coffee
Eight50 Coffee is an award-winning, women-owned Canadian coffee company with deep coffee roots. Named after the year coffee was discovered (850 AD) and as a tribute to Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, Eight50 was created to honor this rich heritage and continue the founder’s own family legacy in coffee. The company focuses on responsibly sourced, locally roasted coffee from around the world, while emphasizing community involvement and sustainable practices.
Eight50 Coffee strives to make a positive impact both locally and globally by supporting the communities where their beans are grown and where their products are sourced . Their mantra , "Rooted In Coffee," reflects their vision, ancestral coffee knowledge and commitment to quality and sustainability.
Founded by Muna Mohammed, Eight50 Coffee has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Best Global Coffee Brands by the Wall Street Journal. It also received the 2023 Innovative Achievement Award from the Coffee Association of Canada for its unique RTD Cascara Hashara, a groundbreaking beverage made from the coffee cherry and praised for its upcycled, sustainable approach.
Nathanael May
Senior Manager, Training & Specialty Coffee, Pacific Foods
Nathanael May is the Senior Manager, Training & Specialty Coffee for Campbell Soup in Portland, Oregon. He has spent twenty years working in the coffee industry, from Disneyland, to Starbucks, to Portland Roasting Coffee, with roles ranging from barista to Director of Coffee. He spent a decade working in the US Coffee Competitions, where he chaired the national committees for the Barista and Brewer’s Cup Championships. When he’s not brewing or drinking coffee, he’s eating soup, biking, hiking, and baking bread for his wife and children.
Olga Lucia Botero Hernandez
Catadora Profesional, Cereza Company SAS BIC
Cuenta con 15 años de experiencia como catadora y barista profesional de café. Actualmente, centra sus esfuerzos en conectar a los productores con el mercado, ayudando a las familias de muchos caficultores. Ha participado como líder de cata en numerosos proyectos y cuenta con una amplia experiencia en análisis físico y sensorial.
Ricardo Garcia
CEO, Coffee Kreis
Ricardo Garcia is the cofounder and CEO of Coffee Kreis, a startup that recycles used coffee grounds and transforms them into sustainable, reusable and compostable coffee cups.
Sara Morrocchi
Founder, Vuna Origin Consulting
Sara Morrocchi is the Founder of Vuna, a well-established digital company in the coffee industry. With a global team of expert coaches, Vuna provides coffee professionals at origin with digital training, business coaching, market linkages, and access to international buyers. Through strong partnerships with producer organizations, exporters, financiers, and NGOs, Vuna strengthens the coffee value chain and drives sustainable growth. An expert in green coffee trading and a recognized industry leader, Sara is dedicated to building a resilient coffee sector rooted in market and technical expertise.
Hernando Antonio Tapasco Gonzalez
Trainer, Hernando Tapasco
Hernando is Agronomist engineer with 20 years experience as coffee cupper and 15 years of experience as a coffee processor. Currently, he trains producers’ families in new processing techniques with the purpose of expanding their coffee cup profiles and commercial portfolio. Nowadays, he is researching other fermentation methods to modulate coffee flavor.
Hester Syoum-Westerveld
Coffee Grower, Bette Buna
Hester is a coffee grower and the co-founder of Bette Buna, a proud Ethiopian coffee farm and community. Besides that, together with producers in El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Hester is the co-owner of Paso Paso, a farmer owned roastery in Germany.
Stephanie Welter-Krause
CEO & Roaster, Swelter Coffee Roasters / TWICE
Stephanie Welter-Krause is the founder of Swelter Coffee Roasters, and co-founder of TWICE: Team Women In Coffee. She founded Swelter Coffee Roasters in 2020 with a mission to promote gender equity and sustainability in coffee. She also co-founded TWICE in 2022, with partners Giselle Barrera of Latina’s in Coffee and Amaris Gutierrez-Ray of Joe Coffee, to promote an equitable exchange of coffee quality across the supply chain.
Thomas Käslin
CEO, Cotierra
Thomas Käslin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cotierra, a company focused on decarbonizing and building resilient agricultural value chains through decentralized biochar solutions. Married to a Colombian wife and through his time spent in the country, he recognized the real challenges many local communities are facing, especially farming communities that are most affected by climate change. His objective is to leverage carbon finance and strong collaboration with value chain partners to build stronger supply chains and decarbonize the agricultural sector, starting with coffee.
Tommie Hooft
CEO, Proteen
Tommie Hooft is the CEO and co-founder of Proteen, a company based in East Africa that converts coffee pulp and other waste products into a powerful fertiliser by using larvae of the black soldier fly.
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