Fellowship Program
Meet the 2023 Re:co Fellows
This year’s class of eight Re:co Fellows will contribute to the event in numerous ways: first and foremost, with the Fellows Talks, which will take place during Thursday’s Seminar Program. With their wide range of backgrounds and areas of expertise, the 90-minute seminar led by the Fellows promises to be one of the most engaging, thought-provoking sessions of the event. The Fellow’s Talks will draw on the experiences of these coffee and research professionals to examine topics including: the role of coffee brewing technology in shaping our understanding of “good” coffee; specialty coffee as a vehicle for economic growth and autonomy for women in the value chain; and the history of gentrification in Portland. Delegates will find some of the big-picture themes from the Plenary Program, like the idea of specialty coffee embracing diverse tastes, reflected in the perspectives offered by the Fellows, who are working to apply these ideas in a variety of supply chain roles and cultural contexts.
In addition to their talks, Fellows will facilitate Sensory Experiences that include an exploration of ready-to-drink coffee beverages and a tasting of masa harina products that communicate their sustainability attributes in very different ways. Over meals, coffee, and drinks, this group of leaders – established and in the making – will also build relationships within their cohort of Fellows and across the full range of Re:co delegates that will serve them as they continue to build their careers in the coffee industry. The whole event benefits from the energy and inquisitiveness of these emerging leaders, and we are grateful to Toddy for supporting the 2023 class of Re:co Fellows.
Click the photos to learn more about each Fellow
Supported By:
What is the Re:co Fellowship Program?
Over the past 15 years, we’ve watched Re:co repeatedly create a vibrant network of emerging and existing leadership within the specialty coffee industry during its brief emergence every year. This year’s Re:co Symposium Fellowship, evolved in keeping with changes made to the structure and intentionality of this year’s programming, is designed to highlight individuals working to address the challenges and opportunities of specialty coffee’s emerging future and who wish to develop their leadership capabilities in the sector in order to further this work. Those selected are expected to apply their experience to make a substantial contribution to the discourse at this year’s Symposium by co-leading a seminar and acting as stewards for the event’s sensory experiences.
Thanks in part to the generous support of the 2023 Re:co Fellowship sponsor, Toddy LLC, we have awarded eight fellowships to qualified applicants, which will cover the registration fee of Re:co Symposium and the Specialty Coffee Expo; three nights of accommodation in Portland, Oregon; and up to US$500 of a fellows’ travel expenses.
In addition to their on-site activities, selected fellows will receive up to two hours of virtual small-group coaching on the structure and delivery of their presentation as well as a dedicated session in one of the four seminar tracks. After this year’s Symposium has finished, fellows will integrate their time in Re:co’s environment of leadership, deeper understanding, and progress into a written version of their presentation in the fellows seminar for publication as a short (1200-1500 words) feature on SCA News.