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The sun’s out, and so is our spring-summer menu at Joe Coffee! We’re bringing back warm-weather favorites, including La Newyorkina’s beloved ice cream sandwiches and paletas at select cafes. Founded by James Beard-nominated pastry chef Fany Gerson, La Newyorkina is known for its sweet Mexican desserts, making these treats the perfect way to cool off. Plus, we’re introducing something new: the Orange & Creme Coconut Latte, crafted in collaboration with our friends at Vita Coco and made with their latest innovation, Vita Coco Treats. And don’t miss the Pineapple Coconut Cream, the winning creation from our internal seasonal beverage competition, dreamed up by Cheri French from our Pro Shop cafe in Chelsea. Cheri even stopped by to help us prepare for the launch and share the inside scoop on her latest creation and what she’s been up to. Joe: Hey Cheri! So nice to see you. How long have you been working at Joe now? Cheri: Almost a year! I started in June of last year. J: Nice! Walk me through the inspiration for the Pineapple Coconut Cream. C: I started by imagining what my summer would look like. I had just moved to PLG from Washington Heights, and my commute to the beach went from over two hours to 40 minutes or less. I thought, I’m going to be at the beach every day—what would I want to be drinking? A piña colada! That’s where it started, and it went through a lot of different iterations. J: Did you originally plan for all the variations—matcha, turmeric, espresso? C: No! I bought a bottle of ready-to-use espresso and started testing it at home. After dialing it in, I tried it with matcha and turmeric, and it just happened to be perfect. But that wasn’t really the original intention. J: It’s so versatile! I love that. C: It’d be great for a party—maybe with some Don Q rum. J: Now we’re talking! Working at Pro, what’s your favorite part about this cafe? C: I love that it has its regulars—I even know them by name and their orders. I mostly work Sundays, and there’s one customer, David, who always wears a quaint fedora. He comes in and says, The usual!—which is a cortado for here. We chat about his job. I worked this past Sunday while he was on vacation in Spain. I also love that I get to chat with people attending the educational classes here. They usually buy coffee or equipment afterward. Sometimes, coffee tour groups come in. The guide will mention how the original Waverly location had an iconic bench out front. Making pour-overs for people who really appreciate coffee makes this location feel special. J: That’s what I love about Pro, too! I also love how Roberta curates the guest roaster program. Outside of work, what do you do for fun? C: I love rock climbing and knitting—I’ve been making socks and beanies. I have a dog named Lunch Box, so I do a lot of dog-related stuff. Winter’s been tough, though—I’ve been inside a lot. But generally, my hobbies include camping, hiking, going to the beach, and climbing. J: Love that! Any hiking trips planned this summer? C: I’m debating! There’s a waterfall in Arizona called Havasu. I used to live there, and the reservations have gotten more expensive, but it helps preserve the valley and the tribe. It’s a 13-mile hike into a canyon with a bunch of waterfalls—then 13 miles back out. If I don’t do that, I might do a Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike. I really want to make that happen this year. J: What’s something you’re excited about in life right now? C: Honestly, coffee has been that for me this past year. I work at Joe because I want to—not because I have to. I love practicing my latte art. I have an espresso machine at home now, so I get to try the guest roasters, dial in my shots, and experiment with different drinks. I’ve also been fermenting cheong, a Korean syrup made by combining fruit and sugar and letting it ferment. I made a blood orange cheong and a strawberry one—the strawberry pairs perfectly with Portrait Coffee’s Triple Double. I make a spritz with it, and it’s so good. J: Ooo! What espresso machine do you have? C: The Ascaso Steel DUO. J: Are spritzes your go-to drink right now? C: Yes! I’m really into them. Outside of that, just having a true New York summer. Winter’s been long, and with each warmer day, I wake up, click my heels, and think, I’m so close to the beach! J: We can all relate to that. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? C: This is a quote from a dear mentor of mine—though I think they misquoted it a little: Kids of all ages run away to join the circus, but nobody runs away to join Disneyland. It reminds me to prioritize things that fill my cup and bring me joy instead of just doing what I should do. Obviously, everyone has responsibilities—laundry, making the bed, brushing your teeth. But at the end of the day, you’re actively choosing the life you live—unless you decide to do something different. J: Wow, that’s deep. Great visual. This ties into my next question—outside of work, what are three things you can’t live without? C: My boots. I wear them every day—this is actually my second pair of the same ones. My first pair got soaked while rafting in Yosemite and shrank, so I gave them to a friend and bought a new pair. Two would be my dog—she’s almost nine. And the third… maybe it’s corny, but my carabiner for my keys. I lose my keys every time. I found this one at my local hardware store, and it’s been a lifesaver. J: Solid picks—boots, dog, carabiner. C: Ha! Yes, very tactical. J: Thanks for chatting! We’ll be sipping on the Pineapple Coconut Cream all summer long. The Pineapple Coconut Cream is now available for a limited time at all Joe Coffee cafes. Sign up for the Joe Coffee loyalty app and enjoy a discount on your first one!

We’re proud to support our New York City community, and partnering with Edenesque allows us to do just that. Much like Joe Coffee, Edenesque approaches food and beverage with love, intention, and a deep commitment to nourishing not just our bodies, but also the communities and environments we care about. From nutrient-rich ingredients sourced from New York farms to production and fulfillment across New York State, Edenesque embodies a sustainable, community-focused approach. In this Q&A, we sit down with founder Leslie Woodward, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, to learn more about her journey, her passion for crafting high-quality, sustainable foods, and how Edenesque uplifts those around them through innovative, plant-based dairy alternatives. Edenesque is all about nourishing people and the planet. What inspired you to blend your culinary expertise with such a powerful mission for sustainability? Combining culinary expertise with a commitment to sustainability was a natural progression for me. Food is foundational to health, culture, and the environment, and I believe that what we consume should not only taste good but also contribute positively to our world. With Edenesque, I wanted to craft plant-based dairy products that prioritize whole ingredients and support local farmers, making it possible to nourish people while protecting our planet. As a Black woman, chef, and business owner, your journey has given you a unique perspective. How have those experiences shaped Edenesque and the way you approach your work today? My journey as a Black woman, chef, and entrepreneur has profoundly shaped Edenesque's mission and vision. These experiences drive my commitment to tackling food insecurity and advocating for sustainable food systems, while ensuring our brand embodies transparency, resilience, and accessibility. I’ve been shaped by both adversity and the unwavering support of my community—especially my grandmother and Bishop Jackie McCullough, a minister who visited our church. Their love and guidance were lifelines during difficult times, empowering me to find strength and resilience. That care inspired me to pay it forward, to be a source of light for others facing challenges. Becoming a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef has given me a powerful way to nourish others, and through Edenesque, I aim to extend this impact further. My goal is to create a company that not only produces high-quality, sustainable food but also nourishes communities and uplifts those around us. With over two decades of experience, how has your background in fine dining and nutrition influenced the way you create your plant-based milks? My background in fine dining taught me to respect ingredients and craftsmanship. This experience, combined with my knowledge of nutrition, guides me in creating products that balance taste and health. Every Edenesque product reflects a commitment to quality and nourishment, crafted with whole ingredients that provide genuine flavor and nutritional benefits. Your culinary background spans from high-end kitchens to holistic nutrition. How do you balance indulgence with nutrition in the plant-based milks you create? Balancing indulgence and nutrition is at the heart of Edenesque. I want our plant-based milks to feel luxurious yet nourishing. We focus on high-quality, nutrient-rich ingredients that not only taste indulgent but also support well-being. It’s about creating flavors and textures that feel like a treat without compromising health. You work closely with local, sustainable farms in New York. How do you go about choosing your partners, and why is supporting local farmers such a big part of your vision? Choosing local, sustainable farms is key to creating high-quality, responsibly sourced products. We partner with farmers who share our commitment to ethical and environmentally friendly practices. Supporting local farmers helps reduce our carbon footprint and strengthens the regional economy, aligning with Edenesque’s values of community and sustainability. Edenesque’s focus on whole ingredients—without fillers or preservatives—really sets you apart. Why is this commitment to clean, transparent food so important to you? Transparency in food is crucial. I believe that what you see is what you should get. At Edenesque, we’re committed to providing products that are free from cane sugar, fillers and preservatives, allowing the natural ingredients to shine. This dedication to clean food reflects our respect for the consumer and our responsibility to provide truly nourishing options. Your Food Insecurity Initiative is such an important part of Edenesque’s mission. Can you tell us how this program came about and how it’s making a difference in the community? The Edenesque Food Insecurity Initiative™ emerged from a commitment to support communities facing food scarcity due to challenges like unemployment, illness, and economic instability. We recognize that access to nutritious food is essential for fostering resilience and dignity. Through partnerships with local farmers, agencies, and community programs, such as Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood and Columbia County Recovery Kitchen, the initiative increases food availability and eliminates barriers to access. By collaborating with organizations aligned with our mission, we’re able to provide nourishing, high-quality foods that address immediate needs while also building long-term solutions for food justice. You’ve grown from selling at farmers’ markets to being on the shelves of Whole Foods and now all 24 of our cafes. How has that journey been for you, and what excites you most about partnering with Joe Coffee? The journey has been incredibly rewarding. Moving from farmers’ markets, to partnering with brands like Joe Coffee allows us to reach a broader audience while staying true to our roots. I’m thrilled that Edenesque can now be part of so many daily routines, offering people a wholesome, plant-based option in their morning coffee or afternoon pick-me-up. For other aspiring entrepreneurs looking to build something with purpose, like Edenesque, what’s the best piece of advice you’d give them? First, don’t give up. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when things seem bleak. I would tell them to stay true to their values and mission. Building something with purpose isn’t easy, but it’s incredibly fulfilling. Surround yourself with partners and team members who believe in your vision, and remember that every challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow. — Now available in all 24 of our cafes, Edenesque’s chef-crafted oat milk brings a new level of care and quality to every cup—made with nutrient-rich ingredients from New York farms and locally produced to support a sustainable future. Experience the goodness of Edenesque at Joe Coffee, where nourishing yourself and the community go hand in hand. Learn More About Edenesque Images Curiosity of Edenesque

When it comes to the world of tea, few brands have taken as thoughtful and dedicated an approach as Kettl. Founded in 2011, Kettl has made it its mission to share the freshest, highest-quality Japanese teas with the world—something that wasn’t easily accessible outside of Japan. With roots in Fukuoka and a strong presence in New York City, Kettl’s journey from its humble beginnings to becoming a well-regarded name in both tea and hospitality is a story of passion, patience, and craftsmanship. In this Q&A, we sit down with Kettl’s founder Zach Mangan to explore the brand’s evolution, its deep connection to the NYC hospitality scene, and its exciting new partnership with Joe Coffee. Can you talk about the unique relationship between Kettl and Joe Coffee, from being neighbors to building the partnership we have today? Owners Zach and Minami Mangan All Photos Courtesy of Kettl What inspired the new Kettl offerings at Joe Coffee?At Kettl, we source 100% of our offerings from Japan. The exciting challenge for me was to source a remarkable collection of teas that felt global and would both cater to the tastes of long term Joe customers while inspiring them with a new dimension of freshness, quality, taste and fragrance. I am really proud of what myself and the team have come up with and I believe the menu at Joe represents a perfect snapshot of the very best of what’s happening now in the world of Japanese tea. Can you walk us through how Kettl was formed and how the brand has evolved since?Kettl was founded in 2011 after visiting Japan and realizing the freshest, most sought after teas generally stay within Japan’s domestic market. After spending over two years building relationships with Japan’s top producers, I set up an office in Fukuoka Japan to work within the domestic market and source these amazing teas. I started by working directly with chefs to provide them with high quality tea and over the last decade have worked to build a community of customers and tea lovers through our stores, online store and incredible wholesale partners. If you could start the process over, what advice would you give your past self?I would continue to remind myself that the best things take time - and not to be in a rush. Building a long term business means you must be thoughtful about every brick you lay. It is the design of the foundation that allows you to grow. No matter how much you think you know, continuing to seek out opportunities to learn, grow and develop a team is absolutely paramount. What drew you to the hospitality industry?The community of folks within the industry. The incredible camaraderie and friendship that exists in hospitality - especially here in NYC - is second to none. I find a lot of personal inspiration in seeing people push themselves, overcome the inevitable adversities, and make an impact on their community. Hospitality is a form of service - putting others before you - and I think that is a great road map for life in general. How has being based in New York City shaped your brand over the years?Sort of to my previous point, the community in NYC is unlike any other. I don’t know of another place that has such an eclectic and talented pool of folks as New York. The level of creativity, passion and focus - and the ability to communicate it - is something that has inspired me personally and Kettl as a brand since the inception of the business. I can’t think of a better city to work in and create a brand than NYC. How do you approach creating a sensory experience that goes beyond just the product?For me, Japanese tea is the hub of a wheel with many spokes radiating from it - community, culture, design, cuisine, wellness, travel - the list goes on and on. I take inspiration from each and every spoke and find my job is to thread them through Kettl to tell a richer story of what tea can be. Having tea as the centerpiece opens an endless world of possibilities for story telling and community building. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all the possibilities Japanese tea provides but also find it endlessly inspiring knowing there is such a compelling story to tell. Discover the exceptional taste of Kettl’s Japanese teas at Joe Coffee, now featuring Kagoshima Wakoucha, Hoshino Sencha, Genmaimatcha, Soba Cha, and their signature Matcha—bringing a whole new level of flavor to every sip.

This July marks an exciting moment in our history–it’s our 20th anniversary! As we get ready to celebrate, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the community that has gotten us this far. From the folks who helped establish our first cafe on Waverly Place as a pioneering specialty coffee shop in New York to the community of regulars who have supported us through two decades of business in this city, it’s pretty clear to us that we’re surrounded by some pretty special people. Enter “Bench Talks,” a new series dedicated to highlighting the diverse, talented, and incredibly kind humans who make our community so unique. Inspired by the benches outside of our cafes which have become symbols of conversation and welcome reminders to slow down to enjoy a cup of Joe, Bench Talks are informal chats sharing the stories and memories of the people who have helped make Joe what it is today. Find them all here as they’re released and on Instagram @joecoffeecompany! Episode 1: Jonathan and Gabby Rubinstein Co-Founders of Joe Coffee Company “We were known as the first third-wave specialty coffee company in New York City. And at that time no one would ever dream that there would be fifteen-hundred other great coffee bars in New York City twenty-years later. And to think that we have something to do with paving the way.” 🛍️ Product Best of Joe Bundle 6 oz bags.Includes The Daily, The Waverly, Benchmark, Half Moon, Nightcap, and The Village. The Daily: Veloso Family, El Paraíso Growers' Association.... by Joe Coffee Company ✓ Available 🛒 View Product Watch on Instagram Episode 2: Alice and Richard Rubinstein Co-Founders Jonathan & Gabby's Parents “The first day, the day that we opened, Alice was one of two or three baristas actually making the coffee and as I recall your sister was here and was cleaning tables at the time. So, it was an exciting time.” Watch on Instagram Episode 3: Eleane Miersch Dry Mill Manager & Head of Quality Control at Fincas Mierisch A few weeks after we filmed this Bench Talk, Eleane passed away unexpectedly. In sharing this with you, we honor her memory and her significant contributions to this industry. “I have been involved with the business for more than sixteen years, and can say that I absolutely love everything I do.” We are grateful for Eleane's passion, strong leadership, and easy friendship, all of which contributed to the Joe we know today, and a generation of coffee people who learned from her. Watch on Instagram Episode 4: Amanda Byron Joe Employee #1 & Director of Coffee “I remember us saying that we were going to be open only during the hours that I could be there because I was the only person who could do latte art. Back then, were were one of the few cafes that was really doing what I would consider specialty coffee at the time. People had never seen latte art before, so they thought that was really amazing. I got a lot of ‘did you do that on purpose?’” Watch on Instagram Episode 5: Ed Kaufmann First Roaster & Green Buyer “Jonathan and I became friends just through the small coffee industry back in 2006, ’07 and ’08. And we were just having some wine one night and I had been working on a business plan to open my own coffee company, and I just by the third bottle of wine I hired myself to be the roaster for Joe!” Watch on Instagram Episode 6: Samantha Dion Baker Author, Illustrator, and Hicks Street Regular “Our neighborhood needed a coffee shop like this so badly, and then suddenly Joe was opening and I got so excited I came over and drew the exterior, because I do that when something exciting is happening in my world I draw it. I love drawing storefronts, so I drew it. I tagged Joe, somebody saw it, Jonathan saw it, and then they ended up selling it as a card for a while.” Watch on Instagram Episode 7: Danny Meyer Founder of USHS, proud investor of Joe Coffee Company “I do not think I had my first experience of walking into a Joe Coffee until many many years probably after I had been a steady customer at Grand Central. This all started because back in the days when you would see a tall cup of Starbucks on every other desk in the office. There was one person on our team who would bring in this blue cup, and I would have no idea what it was. And I said, ‘what is that?’ and he said, ‘here, try it’ and it was amazing coffee.” Watch on Instagram Episode 8: Andrea Rubi Second generation coffee grower, longtime Joe Coffee partner “In 2012, my parents took at trip to New York City with my little sister Angie, because she was fifteen at that time, and she asked for a trip to New York. It was the first time that my dad and my sister had come to the city, and my dad was amazed because of the energy that this city provides. They went back home and my dad was like, ‘I sat with your mom at Bryant Park, and I was hoping that one day we can come back to New York, and we can actually say that we are going to have a cup of coffee of Ruland, served at a shop in New York’. And that’s how in 2015, we bought a second land and started growing specialty coffee.” Watch on Instagram Episode 9: Akeem Showers General Manager of 13th Street and Union Square West “Being apart of the community is big to me, it’s like being a part of a family. I remember just stating off at Joe and meeting Jonathan and Gabby Rubinstein, and having a conversation with them. That is always something that struck me and I will always carry with me, in a lot of companies you rarely meet the owners…That’s something that I always tell everybody; just be generous, be kind, be patient. Anything you want to learn you always can learn, just put your best foot forward.” Watch on Instagram Episode 10: Randy Garuitti CEO of Shake Shack, friend of Joe "My wife had just gotten here, and was in a bar with her mother of all people on Hudson Street, not too far from here, and the nicest person started talking to her as a new New Yorker. Turns out his name was Jonathan. They hit it off, and he said, ‘I am opening this coffee shop, and you should come by’. My wife and I ended up living over on Bank Street for four years, and we would come here all of the time, back in the beginning days.” Watch on Instagram Episode 11: Jacob Soboroff NBC News Correspondent and Joe Coffee Regular “I have been sitting on this bench since this coffee shop opened. One the corner of Gay and Waverly. It was, I don’t know, 2003, and I was living right over there on Mercer Street. This is the place where I had my first cups of coffee in my entire life.” Watch on Instagram Episode 12: Carrie Webster Joe Coffee Roastery General Manager of Production “I have been working here since 2011. I started out as a barista, and then I became an assistant manager, and then I became manager of Columbia, and 13th, and then Lexington. Then I moved over to the Roastery a couple years ago. I just wanted to try something new, expand my horizons and knowledge of the coffee industry. I missed my regulars a lot , but I like this new adventure of organizing, and it is a different kind of helping my team. I like that, the behind the scenes thing.” Watch on Instagram Episode 13: Chef Danielle Sepsy Chef and owner of the Hungry Gnome “Jonathan, the founder of Joe Coffee, he has a very special place in my heart, and in fact when I talk about him I get a little emotional. And I don’t even think he realizes this, but it’s because he has changed my life in so many ways. In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, I emailed Jonathan. He didn’t realize, but I had just lost my job at the company I was working for, and I was not on my own yet with the Hungry Gnome full time...I told him about my baked goods and asked him if I could bring some samples... Few days later I am in the office, I bring him samples, and that night he emailed me, and it’s an email that I have saved because it’s so special to me. He said that in the sixteen-ish years he had been in business, that he had never had better baked goods than I had brought him. In that moment my life changed because I signed on my first big wholesale customer, which was Joe Coffee.” Watch on Instagram Episode 14: Zachary Carlson and Jordan Michelman Co-founders of Sprudge, co-authors of But First, Coffee “Sprudge is an international publication dedicated to coffee culture all over the world, we are based in Portland, Oregon, with contributors all across the world and readers all over the world. We founded in 2009, and we publish coffee news, cultural reporting, city guides, hot new gear, all of the rest of it, every single day. You can find us at sprudge.com. Sprudge was originally a word we made up to define the leftover espresso grounds and espresso sludge that you get on your apron and shoes when you are behind a bar at a cafe.” Watch on Instagram Episode 15: Juanita O. Lewis Executive Director of Community Voices Heard “Community Voices Heard is a twenty-nine year-old, power building, community organizing group in New York State. We were founded back in 1994 by women who were on public assistance, and did not like how welfare was changing without their ideas and without what needed to happen to make it better. So they were fighting back against really bad policies that were impacting them and their families. So we grew from being just one issue organization and one location to now being in four places across New York State, and focusing on housing injustice, economic justice, and participatory democracy.” Watch Part 1 on Instagram Watch Part 2 on Instagram Watch Part 3 on Instagram

We're thrilled to unveil our new women-produced coffee, The Village, whose label art is just as stunning as the coffee within. As a product that features seasonally rotating coffees from valued relationships with female producers, we hoped to reflect the diversity of stories and perspectives as well as origins in the artwork. We had the privilege of working with the incredible Costa Rica-based illustrator Erica Zeledón Salazar to bring the concept to life. Based in San José, Costa Rica, Erica studied Art & Visual Communication at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica and majored in graphic design. After spending several years working in the advertising industry, she took a leap of faith to forge her own path working full time in illustration. Her work is defined by vibrant colors and texture, along with the use of symbolic elements, connecting her ideas with the natural world around her. To create the illustration for The Village label, we shared stories with Erica about the women producers we have come to know and whose work we aim to highlight, as well as the larger context of women's significant contributions to the coffee industry. Drawing inspiration from some of the imagery we shared, including the women of the Turihamwe Cooperative in Burundi dancing, Erica anchored the illustration with a woman with welcoming, open hands symbolizing creation and harvest, and intertwined elements of growth and cycles, which are integral to the production of coffee. We had a chance to speak to Erica about what inspires her work, and specifically the design for The Village. Her answers are presented in Spanish with their English translations. You mention that nature and the cycle of life are the main themes of your illustration work. What is it about these subjects that inspires you? Nature has the ability to be a source of constant creation and transmutation—in it, we can find such microscopic elements that are difficult to see with the naked eye, as well as large bodies that make you feel so small—each and every one of them essential and important in the cycles of life. At the end of the day, everything is connected and those connections are what catch my attention completely. What type of color palette do you gravitate towards and why?Me suelen gustar los colores primarios y el verde, para mí son el inicio de todo y siento que son “accesibles” a un público más amplio, con esto quiero decir que busco crear ilustraciones que sean de una lectura más “fácil” ya que el detalle de las mismas puede estar cargado de elementos y al usar estos colores busco que no sean “pretenciosas” por ponerlo de alguna manera. I usually like primary colors and green. For me they’re the beginning of everything and I feel they’re “accessible” to a wider audience. By this, I mean to say that I seek to create illustrations that are “easy” to read so the details can be loaded with elements, and by using those colors, I look for them to not be “pretentious,” to phrase it like that. How long have you been illustrating, and how have you evolved as an artist over the I started in the world of illustration 10 years ago and it has been a whole process to be able to understand myself, to know myself to be able to understand what I wanted to achieve as an artist. Besides, we’re in an era of bombardment of styles and trends you’re supposed to follow in order to be seen and taken seriously. That’s why practice and sketching are so important as a source of idea generation beyond looking at external references that can be confusing to us. Looking inward is key to being able to grow, because at the end of the day we are our own most honest source of what we really want to achieve. When working on the label for The Village, what was your process to create the illustration? (How did you interpret the brief/draw inspiration from the photography we provided, etc) I think it was key to create an illustration that celebrated the playful part of the coffee harvesting process that could represent a community of women. Likewise, it was important to use essential natural elements in the process of growth of the coffee plant, such as the birds who are agents of pollination, in addition to what is necessary: the sun as both a source of vitality and a symbol of the cycles of life.

While our annual holiday coffee, Rockefeller, is always rooted in what this season means to us, this year in particular we wanted to focus—both in cup as well as spirit—on compassion, intention, and giving. To make this coffee a standout, we teamed up with Go Fund Bean to double down on supporting our greater network of essential hourly coffee workers. Go Fund Bean is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting, uplifting, and defending baristas nationwide. Established in the early days of the COVID-19 to support folks put out of work by the pandemic, the organization has grown to so much more over the last year—mentorship, free mental health care, disaster relief grants, and more. 🛍️ Product Benchmark Part of our signature collection, Benchmark is roasted to be just as delicious brewed as a regular drip or on espresso. We carefully selected each com... by Joe Coffee Company For each bag of Rockefeller sold, we'll donate $1 to Go Fund Bean. Ahead of the holidays, we sat down with the team at Go Fund Bean to learn more about the critical work they do for the industry, how they remain motivated to keep pushing forward, and what they see for the future of the organization and baristas everywhere. Pictured above: Adam JacksonBey, Founder of Go Fund Bean. Q: Who and what is Go Fund Bean and what does it do? A: Go Fund Bean is an organization that supports, uplifts, and defends the hourly coffee worker. We do that through a variety of ways including through direct aid, like our Grants program and Disaster Relief program; through supporting hourly coffee worker's mental health with our Stay Grounded Initiative, our talk therapy program, and Get Psyched, a collaboration with Umeshiso to help provide and through professional development; and with our Bean Development classes and Bean for Bean, our mentorship program. Q: What prompted the formation of Go Fund Bean? How has the organization evolved since its formation? A: We started on March 17th, 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic, when out of work baristas were sharing [virtual] tip jars to help them make ends meet in the face of massive layoffs. We were promoting their tip jars, trying to get attention to them beyond their communities. About a month into that, we were contacted by a couple of companies that wanted to donate to Go Fund Bean and have us disburse the money to the baristas ourselves. We incorporated as a nonprofit so that we could be best positioned to do this. How we've evolved over the past year and a half has a simple answer: we've grown. We've stayed true to our guiding principles—supporting, uplifting, and defending hourly coffee workers. We've taken a hard look at what that really means and used that answer to grow what we can do as an organization, starting with giving out grants to hourly coffee workers impacted by COVID and adding more programs as we went along. We have a very holistic view of what it means to support, uplift, and defend. Q: What would you say have been the biggest challenges across the lifetime of the organization? It strikes us that you've had to put active collaboration into practice, which is a little bit of a difficult thing to do sometimes. How have you collectively navigated through ups and downs? A: The biggest challenge we've had is that we've grown extremely quickly and it has been hard to try to scale that growth while maintaining the same level of care, but manageable. We're lucky to have a responsive, attentive, and active Board of Directors that is able to guide the future of the organization. They continue to provide support to help us set up structures, which allows us to grow quickly and efficiently. Active collaboration is a hard thing to do sometimes, but one thing that is special about this generation of coffee professionals and organizations is that we want to work together. Competition isn’t part of it. We've been lucky to support and be supported by other organizations within the industry: CCRE, Getchusomegear, and Glitter Cat, to name a few, that have helped us grow and allowed us to bounce ideas off each other and work together in both formal and informal ways. Q: What are some of the challenges and successes you see within the coffee industry today as a whole? (This may also get at the underlying question...how are you defining "the coffee industry" for your organization's purposes?) A: The biggest challenge we see in the industry is the same it’s always been: a lack of support for workers at both ends of the supply chain. Both the producers and the hourly coffee workers are integral to coffee worldwide, and our industry could not exist without them, yet they’re the lowest paid members of our value chain. We feel as though they should be supported in every way possible, and the best way to do that is through collaboration and collective action on both ends of the supply chain. Q: Is there anything related to Go Fund Bean that speaks most to your heart, that you're most passionate about, or see yourselves as being most uniquely capable to accomplish? A: We love our mission because it’s simple but powerful: support, uplift, defend. One thing that we are going to spend the next year or so working on doing better is defending the hourly coffee worker. Hourly coffee professionals face many challenges, and figuring out how to be reactive and supportive, through work such as our grant program, has been easy. Now we are focused on being more proactive to give hourly coffee workers structure and a framework to be better in this industry. We’re doing this through our Bean Development classes, Bean for Bean mentoring, and the mental healthcare Stay Grounded Initiative. We also have an upcoming Advisory Committee that will be made up of current hourly coffee workers. Q: What's the future for the organization? A: Ideally, our goal is to no longer be needed! The programs that we have been doing, are doing, and will be doing in the future should already be in place for hourly coffee workers, whether that's through the government or their employers. Until that day comes however, Go Fund Bean will be focused on collaboration and growth. We want to collaborate with more organizations and companies in order to help more hourly coffee workers reach their full potential within this industry and as individuals. If you are or someone you know is an hourly coffee worker in need of emergency financial assistance, training, or mentorship, or if you would like to make a contribution to support the work of Go Fund Bean, please visit their website here.

As we celebrate Women's History Month, we reflect on the many incredible women we work with throughout the supply stream—from strong leaders within our team to our wonderful partners whose work continually inspires us. One such partner we're proud to work with is Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, owner of JNP Coffee, an importing company focusing on promoting and trading African specialty coffee.We first met Jeanine at the New York Coffee Festival in October 2019 and her work in gender equity in Burundi resounded with us deeply. Soon after, we released a coffee from JNP Coffee to our Atlas Collection, a special line of coffees which aims to highlight each of our sourcing values. This coffee, from the Karehe Washing Station, was chosen to represent our sourcing value of ethics for the many ways it spoke to Jeanine's work to uplift and empower the communities where she works in Burundi. A year later, we're excited to welcome another coffee through JNP, Turihamwe IWCA, to our Atlas Collection later this month.In anticipation of this upcoming release and in celebration of Women's History Month, we present this interview with Jeanine. Hi Jeanine! Thank you so much for speaking with us. Can you introduce yourself?My name is Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, owner of JNP Coffee and founder of Burundi Friends International.After a 20-year career in international business, what led you back to Burundi, and ultimately into the coffee industry?Initially, what led me back to Burundi was a calling to give my people a helping hand. I was one of the fortunate ones who left the country to secure a higher education and was blessed with a great career. Burundi is one of the poorest countries on the planet. I knew I needed to do something. Through the non-profit, Burundi Friends International (BFI) that I founded in 2008 while living and working in California, we were able to empower women, youth and families to build self-sustaining communities. What started with teaching English Communications classes for youth that didn’t have the money to attend college has grown to serve more than 75,000 students across all provinces in Burundi. They have six container-libraries, dozens of smaller libraries (mostly in schools) and 1,000 English Clubs, plus full college scholarships for more than 40 students in Burundi.Like many, I stumbled into coffee by accident. On my trip to Burundi with the BFI board in 2010, I met the head of USAID who insisted that I consider the coffee industry. Later on, I ran into my cousin who was in coffee. He had just built a wet mill and asked me to help him. Then women farmers and members of IWCA Burundi, who had received goats through a BFI project, approached me to buy and market their coffee. Before too long, I found myself as a shareholder in several wet mills in Burundi. I took the opportunity to promote quality coffee with high premiums (a second payment to farmers), then collaborated with NGOs like PCI Global and BFI to bring financial literacy to farmers. Each step brought another element of sustainability to the model we established.Growing up in Burundi, was coffee always part of your life?Not at all. Tea is the culture. Coffee is a cash crop for farmers in Burundi. Most of them can’t actually afford a cup of coffee!What is JNP Coffee’s mission? Do you work exclusively with the IWCA (International Women's Coffee Alliance) chapter in Burundi?JNP Coffee’s mission is to use coffee to alleviate poverty in Burundi, to share Burundi’s exceptionally delicious coffee with the world, to educate and empower farmers, and to build sustainable communities through coffee. And no, we don’t work exclusively with the IWCA Burundi Chapter, although in 2018, JNP Coffee underwrote 100% of their production. Some of our current successful programs, like that of “Turihamwe Turashobora” coffees were with the farmers who were founding members of the IWCA Burundi Chapter.[caption id="attachment_46985" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] The women of Turihamwe take time to dance together in celebration of the joy and community that they feel.[/caption] What are some of the biggest challenges that women in coffee face in Burundi?Lack of access to land ownership, lack of education, and lack of opportunities in general.JNP Coffee is known for enabling gender-sensitive development strategies at origin. What does this mean?Through my mother, I learned quickly at an early age that if you empower a woman, you have a chance to improve the future of a family. When you empower a woman in a place like Burundi, you ensure that funds will go to feed the children and take care of the needs in the home. Women will share their knowledge with other women to improve the community’s quality of life. In our women’s savings and microlending program with BFI, the repayment rate is almost 100%. I can go on and on. Even in large US corporations, those with women in leadership perform better than their counterparts.How do you think supporting gender equity impacts the sustainability of the industry?I don’t see any other way. In places like Burundi, women are the ones working the land, taking care of the coffee trees among other crops. If we want to sustain the coffee industry, we need to emphasize quality, pay good money for it, and bring in other programs to allow farmers to diversify their crops and income, in addition to education. Also, in places like Burundi, contrary to countries like Brazil, the harvest is small and with the right support, the opportunity to produce mostly specialty grade-coffee every year is very attainable.JNP Coffee emphasizes the power and importance of partnership to support inclusive economic growth. Can you tell us a little bit about your work to promote financial literacy among women coffee growers?Education is critically important to economic development yet significantly lacking in Africa. In Burundi, less than 2% of the population has access to higher education. For most people, it’s not a lack of willingness or capability, but a lack of opportunity. I use every opportunity I have to bring education home, at origin. Through BFI, in collaboration with PCI Global, we have been able to bring a very impactful financial literacy program to women farmers, now expanded to youth in Burundi. The program provides a space where women can meet to learn about leadership, and a platform for saving and lending to each other. Some of the women farmers in the program pooled their resources and went on to start their own wet mill in 2019. They are now producing an exceptional coffee, like Turihamwe. To me, that is a good example of an inclusive economy, where women coffee farmers can build and own their own wet mill.How do you measure the impact of implementing equitable practices at origin? Is this something you’ve found challenging? We measure the impact of implementing equitable practices at origin through the example of the women of Turihamwe Turashobora group. By providing access to education, financial resources and leadership, women farmers could build and manage their own wet mill, and the cup quality also speaks for itself. It’s been very challenging in a place like Burundi, where women traditionally don’t have a voice. I struggle with it myself throughout the supply chain, but it does not stop me from persisting. It is a must in Burundi, where women are an untapped resource with tremendous potential.[caption id="attachment_37041" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Jeanine inspecting drying beds at the Karehe Washing Station[/caption] Can you tell us about your experience as a Black woman in specialty coffee? How does it compare to your experience as a Black woman working with producers in Burundi?I love being a Black woman in coffee. This is where I belong. I can represent my fellow women farmers in Burundi right here in the consuming country. However, this does not make it any easier doing business as a Black woman in America. I face the same discrimination as any other Black person in the US, but when I go home to Burundi, the farmers of Burundi are my people and I owe them everything to represent them well. That said, I still face the same gender prejudice and inequality as a businesswoman in Africa. However, I view it as an opportunity to be a role model for other women in Africa, America and the world.What can you tell us about our upcoming release, Turihamwe IWCA, and the women who produced this coffee?Turihamwe coffee is a perfect example of an important story. Women farmers who were IWCA members got together, saved their money as they learned to do in our financial literacy program, and then built and started their own wet mill operation in 2019. Now they are producing a coffee that is outperforming many others. That’s why in Kirundi, its name means “together.” Indeed, together, we can succeed and make a difference. Thank you for allowing us this opportunity. All photos courtesy of JNP Coffee

Inspired by our recent launch of The Mierisch Project Box Set, we took a trip down memory lane with Amanda Byron, Joe's first Director of Coffee, to learn more about the origins of our relationship with the Mierisch family. To explore these early beginnings, we would be remiss not to first introduce you to Amanda. Not only was Amanda Joe's first Director of Coffee, she was employee number one, helping our founder Jonathan Rubinstein open Waverly Place. In those early days of specialty coffee in New York City when latte art was still a novelty, Amanda was our go-to pourer of latte art, which meant that at first, our Waverly cafe hours were built entirely around her availability. During her 13 years at Joe, Amanda became a vital part of our growing company, touching nearly every part of the business, including getting our roasting operation off the ground in 2013. Our relationship with the Mierisch family, who is deeply intertwined in the Joe Coffee story, spans several countries and many years, but can be traced back to meeting Steve Mierisch in New York. We first met Steve when he worked in sales and customer service for our coffee provider at the time, Ecco Caffe (which later became Intelligentsia). Steve, whose family owns Fincas Mierisch in Nicaragua and Honduras, eventually went on to open the Pulley Collective, a shared roasting space at the Liberty Warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It was here in this 19th century waterfront warehouse, and thanks to Steve, that we got our start in roasting.[caption id="attachment_45316" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pulley Collective[/caption]The Beginnings of Pulley Collective & Joe RoastingIn the days when we were purchasing coffee from Intelligentsia, Amanda often traveled to Chicago to visit their roastery. On one such trip, she can recall sitting in the booth of a dark bar with Steve and other folks from Intelligentsia when he told her about his idea to open a co-roasting space in New York. Although she'd never heard of such a thing before, she had a feeling it could be a good fit for Joe. Making the move to roasting our own coffee was something that had been at the back of Amanda and Jonathan's minds for some time." Once we got to a certain number of cafes, it just made sense to take production like this in-house," she explains. "I don't know how things would be if Joe didn't have that as a stepping stone."[caption id="attachment_45313" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Amanda with Ed Kaufmann, Former Director of Sourcing, in 2014[/caption]From Pulley Collective to Sourcing From Fincas MierischOnce we got going at Pulley, it was only a matter of time before we began sourcing coffee from Fincas Mierisch and got to know the rest of the family. Although our first "Joe" coffee wasn't a Mierisch coffee (it was actually from our partner Wilmar Guarnizo), our sourcing relationship began soon after we began roasting all of our own coffee. Amanda recalls, "When we first started roasting, we only did 10% and the other 90% came from Intelly. But once we started roasting 100%, my guess is that a Mierisch coffee was on that menu very early on. It was also the first relationship we had where we traveled to the farm to select lots." When asked if she has any favorite memories from her sourcing trips to Nicaragua, Amanda says, "So many! I just remember thinking it was truly one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen. I felt so lucky to be able to see the entire coffee process as it happened and to do that with the Mierisch family was really special. I loved riding in the back of the pickup truck, I loved the food (and the Flor de Cana!), I loved wandering through endless coffee trees and tasting coffee fruit. My understanding and love of coffee deepened and grew so much during those trips as did my relationships with the people who I got to travel with."[caption id="attachment_45314" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Amanda with Eleane Mierisch in 2014[/caption]Setting the Tone for Future PartnershipsVisiting the Mierisches in Nicaragua every year has become an integral part of who we are, and this foundation of friendship has truly set the tone for how we've evolved as buyers of green coffee. "There's a certain legitimacy of having real genuine relationships with the people who are producing your coffee. It takes you to a different level," Amanda says, "It not a 'direct trade' that's just for show." As we've grown and forged new partnerships around the world, we've held on to this as an important example of what a sourcing relationship can and should be. Importantly, as with any relationship, we believe that the value in our sourcing relationships must flow both ways. In this pandemic climate where coffee producers are shouldering an even greater share of the risk, it has been an opportunity for us to experience how we can share risk more equitably and a good reminder of how important it is to be honest business partners. That's why we were eager to collaborate with the Mierisch family on The Mierisch Project Box Set, to provide a sales outlet for this special trio of coffees which were grown, processed, imported, and roasted (at Pulley Collective!) entirely by the family. Shop and learn more about this collaboration here.[caption id="attachment_45345" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] On a sourcing trip in 2015[/caption]

Joe Coffee's Director of Roasting, Amaris Gutierrez-Ray, is the founder of the Women in Coffee Project (WICP). Amaris has worked in coffee for more than a decade—from barista to retail manager to production to her job today at Joe, managing the roasting department as well as sourcing green coffee. Along the way, she found herself asking questions. Questions like: why do women do so much behind the scenes in coffee, particularly at origin, but their voices aren't heard? In what ways can we share their truth with others throughout the community? How can we celebrate them and elevate their experience? We spoke with Amaris at Year One of the WICP to discuss the path this journey has taken so far.Congratulations on 1 year of the Women in Coffee Project! For those who aren't already familiar, can you tell us what the Women in Coffee Project is, and describe your mission? Thank you! I have been thinking we need to have a birthday party or something to celebrate. We started in October of 2018, so we are a little overdue! The Women in Coffee Project is a platform for women in different roles in coffee-producing countries to share their stories and their perspectives. The world of coffee is as complex as it is diverse, and without context, it’s difficult to learn about, or even measure, gender equity from country to country. [caption id="attachment_30311" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Gender in Coffee Documentary Screening in Baltimore[/caption]What inspired you to start the Women in Coffee Project? When I started the WICP, I was impressed by the fact that women make up about 75% of the workforce in coffee, and are often in roles that directly relate to quality in the early stages of a coffee supply stream (hand-harvesting, processing, fermentation). The specialty coffee industry is really concerned with quality and consistency, and yet I was surprised to learn the voices of women are not the majority heard. I started searching the internet for more information about gender equity, and also quickly realized that research and measurements differ depending on who is reporting the data. And, on top of that, there’s a lot that is difficult to measure in the first place. For example, a common obstacle for female producers to access training or workshops in their regions is a lack of transportation and/or childcare. In order to accurately report whether a training session has been successful in reaching women in that community, one also needs to measure if they are providing those things so that women can actually attend. The context there is key. That’s the difference between equity and equality: moving toward a more equitable future means we are observing the differences between us and accounting for them. Our mission is to do just that. We also hope for information to go back and forth between consuming and producing countries. We have great technology on our side! We primarily use Instagram as a means to communicate and take a peek into each other’s lives. We do full-length interviews with women in different roles, and then publish them online and give them the space to do an Instagram Takeover and share what a day or a week in their life looks like. In what ways do you work to facilitate dialogue and provide an empowering platform for women in the coffee industry? There is a lot of demand right now for transparency in coffee from the consuming side, which is a truly wonderful thing, but I think consuming countries also need to be open to questions asked of us. We see a need for a space to engage outside of preexisting business relationships. We advocate for awareness, and that means encouraging each other to be aware of any subconscious power dynamics inherent to roles between first- and third-world countries. Simply being aware is often the key to learning how to act with sincere professional respect. That’s why the other key component of our vision is to invite four or five women (in groups of 2, for community and support) each year here to NYC for a panel event and visit. Their stay gives us more time to listen to each other, ask questions, taste coffee together, and learn from each other. Throughout the year we fund raise to be able to cover all transportation and lodging costs for our invited guests. We also host events to support organizations that are engaged with supporting women in coffee-growing regions (in the past we have hosted fundraisers for Grounds for Health, the Partnership for Gender Equity, and the International Women’s Coffee Alliance). [caption id="attachment_30308" align="alignnone" width="1024"] First Annual Women in Coffee Panel Event, April 2019[/caption] Has the WICP and its goals evolved at all since its inception? If so, how? We have definitely evolved. I think when we started I envisioned us hosting panel events every quarter, but I was quickly humbled to learn we need to work around a producing woman’s schedule, and not my own! Every country has its own harvest schedule, so I had to be open to the dates that worked for the women I was inviting. In the same way, truly listening (as an active verb) takes time! Interviews take time, especially when we are primarily connecting over the internet and speaking during a harvest season. It’s humbling when someone makes time to answer questions for an interview for this project, so I try to honor that time by being as intentional as possible. We also have become more of a resource. Different companies have asked how they can get more involved in gender equity, and support women in coffee. Since we don’t provide market access to female producers ourselves, we share lists of coffees from different IWCA chapters or encourage roasters to consider donating portions of retail sales to organizations supporting women in coffee. [caption id="attachment_30339" align="alignnone" width="750"] 2019 Women's History Month Cupping series[/caption]What kinds of projects or programming did you take on last year? Last year we hosted a month-long cupping series for Women’s History Month. We invited different roasting and importing companies to highlight the female producers in their supply streams, and opened the tastings to the public. It was so great to see the energy and enthusiasm that other companies have for supporting gender equity and celebrating coffees produced by women. It brought different communities here in NYC together and was a great way to learn more about how gender equity is expressed differently. Having access to someone from an importing company for an evening to ask questions was radical, and I noticed it sparked a lot of enthusiasm for folks from roles in retail spaces, who don’t often have the opportunity to engage with this side of coffee. We also collaborated with Fincas Mierisch in Nicaragua to make WICP tote bags! It came out of a conversation with the panelists from Nicaragua last year, about how off-season work is hard to find. A project like this allowed us to pay a fair wage for the materials and labor to make the tote bags, allow for a little more job stability for a group of women outside of harvest time, and incorporate local jute and the screen printing press they use to print coffee sacks. The women collaborated with a local dressmaker to put them all together and add in colorful straps. Each tote can hold up to 12 pounds of green coffee ;) And it gave us a product we could use for our own fundraising efforts. We’re definitely going to try to do this again in 2020! [caption id="attachment_30309" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Screen printing Women in Coffee tote bags[/caption]Q: Starting the WICP was an ambitious undertaking with your workload as our Director of Roasting. What were some of the biggest things you learned in the process? Wow, so much! (I’d be lying if I said I had time management figured out. It’s a process!) My day job overlaps with some of my goals for the WICP. Learning how to listen, how honesty and compassion are two sides of a coin and both should be inextricable from respect, the vulnerability of being grateful and sincerely generous -- these will always require practice. The WICP has given me a lot of practice, and it’s benefitted my Joe role in ways even I probably can’t imagine. To be candid for a second, it’s not part of my personality to be overly emotional or even understand emotions very well, but through this project, I’ve been exposed to many different, passionate women all over the world. Speaking with them has fired me up, given me access to myself in some ways, and has also incubated a deep appreciation for the emotions we all share. It’s a great human gift and offers us common ground. [caption id="attachment_30340" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Amaris leading a WICP Talk at the NY Coffee Festival, Oct 2019[/caption]Q: You've had the unique opportunity to have conversations with many women. Can you share one of the most interesting conversations you've had? For last year’s panel event, my Nicaraguan mom surprised me by showing up for it. She came the day before the event, and I had planned to have dinner that night with coworker Kendra Sledzinksi and our invited panelists (Eleane Mierisch, Haisell Beteta, Dulce Barrera, and Melanie Herrera). The women we invited for that panel, our first event, were all native Spanish-speakers, like my mom, and from Nicaragua and Guatemala. So my mom came with me to dinner, and while we were heading over there, I remembered in each of the interviews with the panelists beforehand, they had responded “my mom” to the question “Who inspires you the most?” Being able to introduce my mom, one of the original strong women in my own personal experience, to these women I had learned so much from was really moving. We had an amazing conversation that night, about Nicaragua past and present, and so many other things. Kendra made an effort to speak in Spanish, the panelists made an effort to speak in English to share the burden, and my mom was so happy. It made me grateful for my own history and all of the moments that connected us in that group. The strength of women everywhere is a truly powerful thing. [caption id="attachment_30357" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Dinner with the 2019 WICP panelists[/caption]Your Instagram bio says, "One story isn't enough to understand a person or place." Through the dialogue the WICP has opened up, what would you say are the most common themes and challenges facing women in the industry? Like in the rest of the sector, the challenges women face are related to economic disparity, adapting agricultural practices quickly to account for climate changes, access to healthcare. I’ve also heard a lot of practical optimism. The temporal nature of coffee as an agricultural product and the unity of communities working together seems to lend itself well to looking ahead to what can be improved in the coming years. What's on the horizon for the WICP this year? This year we’re going to step up our communication game. I’m building a newsletter and learning how to improve our Instagram and marketing plans. We’re going to lean into our reputation for being a resource and create some documents that can be widely shared about how to get involved in the movement for gender equity. We’ll host our second annual panel event in October (panelists and date still TBD). We’ll publish even more interviews and Instagram Takeovers. We’ll take a few more steps toward our 3-year plan of attaining 501c3 non-profit status. We’ll collaborate on making some more tote bags with the community of women working for Fincas Mierisch in Nicaragua. I sense we are just hitting our stride after a period of a learning curve, and I can’t wait to see where this year takes us. View this post on Instagram Photo: Marianela visiting don Adrian Hernandez farm in Heredia in the Central Valley region. ?Hello again from Marianela Montero, this week’s Instagram Takeover! ?I really enjoyed tasting different coffees and learning what details are behind every cup of coffee. The relationships we build throughout the years are something I really value about coffee and my job. Coffee in general teaches you to be patient, for example think how long does it take a coffee plant to produce coffee, it can take 4 years and even more from the moment we grow it until we harvest the first cherries. I very much appreciate that Costa Rica is a very peaceful country and easy to travel and meet people compared to other origins. ?In 2018 I started together with my husband - Selva Coffee. Right now it’s just the two of us and during the harvest we get help, usually, an intern helps us, currently, this intern is a woman, her name is Maria Paula, she is the daughter of a farmer we work with, she is very passionate and loves coffee. I feel very lucky and proud to teach her the knowledge I’ve acquired during these years. I also work closely with a logistics company, they are of great support. In my country most of the people are men, but I always feel respected and appreciated by them. I’ve been working with them for four years and I cannot complain. We also work constantly with farmers, roasters, and importers; a few of them are women but mostly men. ?It is interesting to work with different cultures that have a reputation for having unequal status between women and men because in my case I feel even with these cultures having this reputation and I’m empowered and respected by them. I have to say I feel very supported and respected in general by both men and women, but there is something that makes me very excited and happy about working with women in coffee and seeing the strength we share and all the things we have accomplished in this industry. I’m the woman leader in my company :) #costarica #selvacoffee #mujereslideres #strongwomenofcoffee #womenincoffeeproject #bilingual #mujeresencafe #instagramtakeover #cafedecostarica A post shared by Women in Coffee Project (@womenincoffeeproject) on Jan 22, 2020 at 4:27am PST