Saturday July 8 2023 - 9am EST
The first in our series “Promoting Wealth for Women in Specialty Coffee,” this panel event entitled “Women Stakeholder Prosperity: Financial Literacy” will define the link between smallholder prosperity and microfinance training for women.
Register to attend (or receive the recording) here.
Panelists include:
Verena Fischersworring - world’s citizen and interpreter with more than 20 years dedicated to rural development in coffee communities. She is passionate about creating the right environment for people to discover and honor their own gifts and capacities, and ensure their motivation to do what is right to reach their goals. This is how the microcredit program was born as an empowerment tool.
Roberta Lauretti-Bernhard has a BS in Animal Science from Texas A&M and a Masters in Economics, with concentration in Food Security from Tulane University. She started her career as an Livestock Extension Agent for the Ministry of Agriculture in Guatemala. She has worked for private companies, nonprofits and governmental organizations like the U.S. Peace Corps and USAID, managing agricultural projects and programs. With experience in 39 countries, her work has focused on creating and implementing strategies that increase skills, assets and building market linkages for small to medium farmers, farm organizations and agribusinesses. Central to her expertise is equitable economic development, nutritional security and sustainable management of the natural resource base. Roberta has advised thriving agribusinesses in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Throughout her career she has focused on women and young entrepreneurs and producers. She is the Vice President for Operations for Food Enterprise Solutions, a private sector company that provides services to support global food systems.
Maria Ruiz is a native of Boquete, Panama. She has been involved in the coffee industry since the earlier 1970s. First coffee grower from Panama in receiving cupping training (1987) for the purpose of using cupping as an instrument to improve quality as well as efficiency in growing, post-harvest activites, and roasting coffee. National Judge in the Best of Panama annual coffee cupping competition. She is passionate about knowledge creation and knowledge transfer. She holds a BS in Industrial Engineering & Management, an International MBA, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior.
Founder Karen Cebreros relies on a lean operating structure with a hands-on approach built from her experience being a leader. She was the founder and CEO of Elan Organic Coffees and a pioneer in certifying organic coffee and ensuring its sustainability. She served two terms on the non-profit organization’s board of directors. Karen contributed to Grounds for Health and Cup for Education, and Elan was among the first participants in the Smithsonian Migratory BirdCenter Coffee program. Karen also co-founded the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Sustainability Committee and is a longtime member of the Organic Coffee Coalition, a division of the Organic Trade Association. Karen is a founding member of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance.
Saturday July 8 2023 - 9am EST. To register for this panel event, please sign up through the Zoom link.