Introducing the Open-Access Series
Want to know more about coffee?
Come learn with us.
We heard it again and again during our conversations with NKG PACE applicants: a desire for affordable educational content. So, we considered how to make our curriculum available to more of the community, and the result, we’re happy to share, is the NKG PACE Open-Access Series.
Each month, one curriculum event will be open to everyone. Just register below and join us live. Not available? We’ll post the recordings afterward, so you can watch when you’re ready.
We’ve curated a rich and varied calendar that addresses topics from across the supply chain and features NKG colleagues from around the globe, as well as other industry experts. Whether you’re new to coffee or simply excited to learn more, we hope you’ll join us — and share this resource with friends!
UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Big Data: Coffee Through a Statistical Lens
Details coming soon!
February
Coming soon
Missed an event? Catch it here!
December
Farm Management
Tiago Amaral de Oliveira began his career with Neumann Kaffee Gruppe in 2013 as Chief Financial Officer of Fazenda da Lagoa, the NKG farm in Brazil. In 2022, Tiago relocated to NKG headquarters in Hamburg to extend his purview as management coach for NKG farming operations in Brazil, Uganda and Mexico.
In 2023, Tiago relocated yet again to Mexico, where his responsibilities expanded yet again to include Chief Financial Officer of Finca La Puebla, NKG's farm in Mexico, as well as Exportadora de Café California, NKG's export company there.
Tiago shares what farm management means in a practical sense, as well as how it differs across the specific farms he works with and how practices and goals have changed over the years.
November
Sustainability: Real Talk About Real Issues
Is there a more loaded — or diluted — word in coffee than “sustainability”? This conversation brings pointed perspectives to what can be a catch-all concept. We discuss certifications, education, equity, the business case for sustainability and the on-the-ground realities with experts in their respective fields within the industry.
Special Guests:
• RAINA LANG, Senior Director of Sustainable Coffee at Conservation International
• MICHAEL SHERIDAN, CEO of Coffee Quality Institute
• MANUEL CALERO, Head of Becamo's Farmer Support Unit
• SUGUMAR RAMAN, Chief Program Officer, Fair Trade USA
October
The Big World of Coffee: Possibilities Beyond the Cafe
Logistics is an absolutely critical, though little-seen, component of green coffee importing and the coffee industry as a whole. Scheduling and overseeing the movement of coffee from producing countries to consuming countries is high risk, high stakes and high stress. Thus, we couldn't be more grateful to have brilliant and deeply experienced Logistics professionals on our teams at Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG) and Neumann Gruppe USA (NGUS).
We discuss:
• Examples of coffee and coffee-adjacent industries.
• Types of roles and lifestyles.
• Potential next steps toward a career in coffee.
Special Guests:
MICHELLE R. JOHNSON, CEO and co-founder of Ghost Town Oats, the world’s first Black- and queer-owned oat milk company. Michelle earned a global reputation in coffee through her site, The Chocolate Barista, and was also the first Black woman to ever compete in the U.S. Barista Championship.
JASMINE MURPHY, assistant manager, Coffee Materials & Sustainability at The J.M. Smucker Co., has worked in coffee for 12 years and has been a Q Grader since 2017.
MUNA MOHAMMED is founder of Eight50 Coffee. She’s worked in Senior Branding and Marketing roles for the last 15 years, in various industries, including the public and private sectors, as well as with small business enterprises and entrepreneurs.
RACHEL APPLE boasts 18 years of comprehensive experience in the specialty coffee industry. From her tenure as Quality Control Manager at George Howell Coffee Company to her instrumental role in building out the green and roasted coffee supply chains and quality systems at Cometeer, she has consistently demonstrated a rare blend of expertise, passion, and dedication. Rachel's extensive resume includes pivotal roles at Cup of Excellence, where she serves as a Head Judge, as well as being a certified SET Course Instructor. Rachel also serves as a US Barista Championship Head Judge, Sensory Lead, and Committee member, investing years in volunteer work and leadership in the specialty coffee community.
AMETIDE AURELUS is a dedicated supply chain professional with vast experience in logistics coordination and supply chain management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management and is pursuing a Master's in Supply Chain Analytics from Rutgers University. Throughout her career, she has handled more than 1,500 shipments from diverse origins, such as Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Vietnam and Honduras, successfully bringing them to the United States and Canada. Her expertise in coordinating complex transportation processes, from pushing for bookings to tracking deliveries and resolving shipping delays, has consistently ensured the timely and efficient delivery of goods.
CHRISTOPHER BROWN is the Mid-Atlantic senior sales manager for Lavazza. He started in coffee 9 years ago, with an internship at San Antonio Coffee Roasters, writing a paper on phenomenology in the coffee roasting process for his bachelors degree. Over the past few years, he’s been engaged with the U.S. Coffee Championships as a latte art judge, equipment coordinator and now finance and logistics lead for all competitions.
September
The Long Journey: Understanding Logistics
Logistics is an absolutely critical, though little-seen, component of green coffee importing and the coffee industry as a whole. Scheduling and overseeing the movement of coffee from producing countries to consuming countries is high risk, high stakes and high stress. Thus, we couldn't be more grateful to have brilliant and deeply experienced Logistics professionals on our teams at Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG) and Neumann Gruppe USA (NGUS).
We discuss:
• A macro perspective on how coffee moves.
• How coffee logistics have changed since peak pandemic.
• How this space is evolving and what the coffee jobs are within it.
Special Guests:
• KAY LOHSE, managing director of Internationale Commodity Logistik (ICL), NKG's Hamburg-based logistics company, offering highly specialized services to the coffee industry. Kay's early career as a dockworker led him to a job in an NKG warehouse, after which he eventually proposed the idea of a single entity overseeing all NKG logistics negotiations and operations — the organization he now leads!
• MARVIN VELASQUEZ is Neumann Gruppe USA's North America Logistics Manager. Marvin joined InterAmerican Coffee in Houston in 2002. Today, he oversees the three NKG U.S. importers (Rothfos Corporation, InterAmerican Coffee and Atlas Coffee Importers), all aspects of inbound logistics to the U.S. and Canada, and the 40 warehouses where NGUS stores coffee.
• DAVID KREBS is a Senior Logistics Coordinator for Neumann Gruppe USA. handling inbound freight for InterAmerican Coffee and Atlas Coffee. David’s early coffee career as a barista and coffee roaster led him to the specialty coffee importing industry where he worked as an operations manager for a small coffee importer in Brooklyn. David Joined NKG in 2021.
August
How Coffee “Works” in Different Countries
The business of coffee can vary broadly from country to country, based on variables including average farm size, farmer access to mills, and federal laws around milling and auction systems. During this conversation, NKG U.S. colleagues, each responsible for purchasing in different countries, will discuss how coffee works — all the stages and players involved between the farm and the ship, whether due to preferences, access or laws.
We discuss:
• Examples of how coffee “works" in a handful of coffee-producing countries, including Brazil, Vietnam, Burundi, Guatemala and Tanzania.
• How coffee moves from farm to export.
• The risks, costs and needs that dictate the differences.
Special guests:
GREG DIETRICH is a Senior Trader with Rothfos Corporation. Greg began his coffee career in 2008, working for a few green coffee importers and gaining experience in quality, trade and risk management. He joined Rothfos Corporation in 2013 with a focus on Central American origins, and most recently focused on Brazil.
SUSAN HELLER EVENSON is Senior Trading Manager for Atlas Coffee Importers. She joined Atlas in 2009, initially working in Customer Service and Sales, and transitioned to the Trade team in 2016 with a focus on East Africa, Asia and India. Susan works closely with the Trading & Futures team for Atlas and Neumann Gruppe U.S.
ERIKA HERNANDEZ handles Sustainable Green Coffee Sourcing for InterAmerican Coffee. With a degree in International Business, Erika Hernandez began her coffee career in 2003 with Elan Organics and joined InterAmerican in San Diego in 2008. She is known for building strong and lasting relationships with producers, navigating the sometimes-complex world of certified green coffee, and warmly supporting her colleagues and customers.
KHOA TRAN is the Robusta Trader for Rothfos Corporation. Khoa began his career in coffee in 1994 in Ho Chi Minh. In 2001, he joined Rothfos as a key addition to its Traffic department, and in 2014 moved to its Trading department. As a trader, Khoa has streamlined the company’s business in Vietnam and built critical relationships.
July
The Power of Processing
Once coffee cherries are off the tree, a producer faces a long (and time-sensitive) list of processing decisions. In many instances, processing is the primary way that a producer can create the best possible quality outcome and the most profitability from a harvest.
We discuss:
• The different processing methods and where and why they’re used.
• How quality is created through processing.
• The risks, investments and repeatability factors involved.
Special guests:
GLORIA PEDROZA is head of Quality at NKG Quality Service in Switzerland. A World Cup Tasting Champion, Q Grader, WCE certified sensory judge SCAE trainer, Gloria has most recently done extensive work in Uganda, helping producers to develop Fine Robusta.
DIEGO GUARDIA is a trader and the head of Specialty at exporter Ceca in Costa Rica. As a trader and a third-generation coffee producer, Diego has extensive knowledge of how processing — and especially the spectrum of Honey processes that Costa Rica has helped to popularize globally — is used to develop heightened cup quality and value in a market that excels at consistency in farming and harvesting.
CAMILA KHALIFE is a coffee consultant based in Ecuador. She’s also the Impact & Communications Lead for The Chain Collaborative, a non-profit incubator that funds community-driven initiatives in coffee-producing regions.
