Thank you for your interest in Grounds for Empowerment!
About Grounds for Empowerment Business Tools Workshops
Grounds for Empowerment (GFE) is a specialty coffee program powered by The Goizueta Business & Society Institute. GFE Business Tools Workshops support women specialty coffee growers as they create a farm identity through storytelling, while analyzing farm revenues and costs, in order to explore their economic potential in the context of prices reported in the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide. Participating coffee farmers leave GFE Workshops with a stronger vision for the future of their farms, and with specific plans to achieve more prosperous and sustainable farm businesses.
Our practical Learning Modules are enhanced by the support of a network of committed GFE Mentors.
GFE Mentor Profile
A supportive and committed network of industry professionals is essential for the success of each GFE Workshop. GFE Mentors are experienced specialty coffee industry professionals who volunteer their time, insights, and feedback to the women who participate in each GFE Workshop.
The ideal GFE Mentor is:
• An active participant in the specialty coffee industry and/or the business sector in Latin America
• Passionate about supporting specialty coffee producers and about the fairness and sustainability of the coffee industry.
• Familiar with business and technical aspects of coffee farming (i.e., the importance of altitude, varieties, processing methods)
• Available to attend sessions during each GFE Business Tools Workshop (which currently run on five Friday mornings)
• Comfortable communicating in both English and Spanish.
GFE Mentors are officially convened during an onboarding call approximately three weeks before each Workshop.
Sessions for the Spring 2022 workshop will run on: March 4th, March 18th, March 25th, April 1st, April 8th from 8:00 to 11:00 AM Hora Centroamerica.
To hear about the experiences of current GFE Mentors, please watch the following video. Then, proceed to the link at the bottom of this page to tell us a little more about yourself.
Questions
If you have any outstanding questions please email GFE Program Manager Giselle Barrera at gcarias@emory.edu
