S&D Coffee & Tea sponsors Re:co fellowship program for third year
S&D Coffee & Tea continues its commitment to the specialty coffee industry by serving as the sole sponsor for the Re:co Fellowship program for the third consecutive year. The Fellowship program grants access to individuals who might not have otherwise been able to attend the Re:co Symposium, held 19-20 April in Seattle, as well as the Global Specialty Coffee Expo (GSCE) that followed.
Re:co Symposium Fellows are future and current leaders in specialty coffee, helping to shape the conversation and design the path forward for the industry. This year the number of Fellows supported by S&D increased to 40, up from 25 in 2015.
In addition to the fellowship program, S&D sponsored the Fellows Lounge at the Symposium. The S&D Fellows Lounge offered recipients of the annual Re:co Symposium Fellowship Award – as well as all delegates – a place to connect, explore ideas and find solutions to some of the most pressing industry issues. Select Fellows also shared their work during the Tuesday night Reception, held 18 April.
“From participating in the selection committee to serving as advocates of the program, S&D is proud to be involved in the Re:co Fellowship program for the third year in a row,” says John Buckner, vp of marketing for S&D, Concord, North Carolina. “We continue our commitment to providing these emerging coffee leaders with educational opportunities and the chance to connect with fellow members of the specialty coffee community through Re:co and the GSCE.”
The Fellowship program once again included a mentoring component that matched Fellows with leaders in the global coffee industry for a series of conversations and in-person dialogue. Three individuals from S&D served as mentors: Olga L Cuellar G., sustainable sourcing manager; David Piza, director of corporate social responsibility and sustainability; and Carlos Palacios, director of coffee sourcing.
Select 2017 Re:co Fellows had the following to say about their experience:
“I really appreciate the Fellowship; it has been a great opportunity. I have been to the Expo five times, but the Re:co Symposium is a different experience. You have so many bright minds in one concentrated room that you get to really have a dialogue, and everyone there is willing to connect. If you have something to say, this is the place to say it,” says Gustavo A. Cerna.
“The Re:co Symposium gives you] a lot of info that I will have to digest on my way back to my country. You learn a lot about the forecast for the industry, where the industry is going and what the consumers are looking for. We have to know that at the farm, so that we can supply to that type of demand. This is the perfect place to learn,” says Javier Palacios.
“It’s an amazing experience. The attendees at the Re:co Symposium represent such a spectrum of coffee – from microbiology researchers to producers – and I saw that in the Fellows that were selected as well. Within this group, it’s been nice to connect with people that are focusing on the same things I am, and I’ve been able to reaffirm that what I’m interested in is really relevant and there’s a lot of need for research in those areas,” says Aleida Stone.
To learn more about the 2017 Re:co Seattle Fellows, visit: http://recosymposium.org/reco-seattle/fellows-2017.
S&D Coffee & Tea, a subsidiary of Cott Corporation, is the largest coffee and tea manufacturer and supplier to restaurants and convenience stores in America. S&D is also a leading producer of liquid extracts. Re:co is a specialty coffee symposium held around the world throughout the year. This two-day event consists of presentations by industry professionals, scientists, and renowned global figures in the fields of sustainability, business, and politics exploring key issues affecting specialty coffee, as well as social events and networking opportunities.
