How I Show Up as Woman in a Male Dominated Industry with Vava Angwenyi S6 Ep.8

How much do you know about your coffee before it comes out of your Keurig coffee machine or handed to you by the barista at your favorite coffee shop?

We hardly have any stories told by the coffee producer or the person living in that country and experiencing all the emotions that go with working in the coffee industry, from the growing of the coffee, processing and selling it. This story has always been from the point of view of the buyer, the roaster, the trader - the foreigner looking in and excited about the new adventure of experiencing the place and its people. Hardly do we have stories especially from this continent that clearly touch on the perception of this continent and the real story of doing business in these environments.

That was an excerpt from the Coffee Milk Blood by todays guest, Vava Angwenyi. In 2009, Vava started Vava Coffee Limited a social enterprise that exports, roasts and consults on coffee value chains. Her main aim is to contribute to better future prospects for coffee communities and the industry as a whole. The company ensures sustainable livelihoods for the people and communities in which it works. Vava is also the co-founder and director of business development & fundraising at GENTE DEL FUTURO (People of the Future). GDF is an organization born out of a partnership between African Plantations Kilimanjaro and Vava Coffee Ltd. Gente Del Futuros focus is to amplify the voices of youth by creating economic empowerment, choices and sustainability for the coffee industry.

In this episode youll learn:

• How to navigate as a woman in a male-dominated industry


• How to be a changemaker as a female entrepreneur challenging the status quo

In the coffee industry.

Key Takeaways

• Women (especially Black women) deal with unreasonable judgements about their appearance and their ability, especially when they are playing in a male-dominated space;


• While the entrepreneurship journey is challenging for many, adding layers of race and gender discrimination make the journey for Black women (especially Black African women) even more challenging;


• Make sure you understand what types of funding are best for you and your business structure; and


• Entrepreneurs should do better vetting of VCs and other funders. Due diligence is a two-way street.

Guest Info:

Learn about Vava here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vavaj/

Learn more about Vava Coffee here: https://www.vavacoffeeinc.com/

Learn more about GENTE DEL FUTURO here:https://www.gente-delfuturo.com/

Learn about Coffee Milk Blood here: https://www.coffeemilkblood.com/

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Join me next Friday for another episode.