Founders’ Note: January 2026
Hi all,
I spent some time reflecting on how to open our first newsletter of the year. Should it carry the usual tone of joy and celebration? January, for many of us, did not feel especially celebratory. It has been a testing time—at home and abroad, for us as an organization, and for many of us as individuals—almost mirroring the wider world we’re living in.
And yet, it is within this community that we’ve found hope and resilience. You’ve reminded us of the importance of celebrating small joys, continuing the work, and staying grounded and resilient—especially in times of chaos and strife. Thank you for being here with us.
Below, you’ll find updates and reflections from our team.
In community,
Sunghee
3 WINS
Farmer School Costa Rica has completed the distribution of $54,000 in seed funding to 129 farmer-led projects. These initiatives focus on strengthening food security and diversifying income streams—from hen-keeping and beekeeping to home gardening and rural tourism—and are projected to generate up to 4x income within the first 12 months of implementation. Our team will be sharing early learnings and insights from the first months of implementation in the weeks ahead.
The Women-Powered Coffee Summit has won the Sprudgie Award for Best Coffee Event for two years in a row! The Sprudgie Awards, presented annually by Sprudge and the Pacific Barista Series, are decided by votes from the global coffee community. We’re deeply honored to be recognized alongside so many inspiring events and leaders we admire—and excited to share more as we gear up for big announcements for WPCS 2026.
Our Market Readiness & Access Program has officially rebranded as the Women-Powered Coffee Collective. This collective brings together roasters, importers, and producers who share our commitment to building a more equitable, trust-based, and sustainable coffee supply chain. While the core mission remains the same—connecting producers with reliable, values-aligned buyers and supporting buyers in sourcing consistent, transparent women-powered coffee—the Collective now offers new benefits, including harvest town halls, monthly market reports, and exclusive access to Women-Powered Coffee Summit opportunities. Reach out to coffee@beanvoyage.org to learn more!
1 CHALLENGE
The philanthropic landscape has become increasingly difficult for organizations advancing DEI efforts, including gender equity, particularly those working internationally. As many companies and foundations pull back or redirect funding toward domestic priorities, we have felt these shifts directly. In response, we are intentionally diversifying our income—exploring Program-Related Investments (PRI) and building infrastructure to grow the earned revenue through coffee sales—while staying firmly grounded in the value we create with the communities we serve.
We welcome introductions or recommendations to foundation partners open to PRI or multi-year grant partnerships—and are always open to a conversation if you’d like to share insights or lend an ear.
1 ASK
Women-Powered Coffee Summit 2026 is coming back to Chiapas, México! We’re excited to return to Chiapas from October 15–17 for another unforgettable gathering of women across the coffee value chain. Know someone who should be there? Please share this link with five people in your network who may be interested in joining us at the Summit. Reserve Your Seats at WPCS 2026 Today! If you’re a returning WPCS participant, keep an eye on your inbox—we’ve got a little surprise coming your way.
RECOMMENDATIONS
This book by Alexis Pauline Gumbs draws parallels between the human world and marine life - especially whales - inviting us to reflect on care, resilience, and interdependence in times of ecological change.
This report by 60 decibels on digital payments and coffee farmers offers grounded insights into the real experiences, challenges, and opportunities of adopting digital payments across rural coffee communities.
This report by SCBF on inclusive index insurance explores how insurance can support farmer resilience, helping producers better prepare for and recover from increasing climate shocks, while offering practical recommendations for donors and practitioners.
PERSONAL NOTE
January was a month of change — and its own set of challenges. More than once in team meetings, we found ourselves laughing because we all agreed that this single month felt like an eternity. Abhi said in the second week of January, “It feels like it’s been three months,” and Itzel laughingly shared near the end of the month that it felt endless—several of us nodding in full agreement. In just 31 days, it somehow felt as though half a year had passed: short, dense, and deeply eventful.
Internally, we began the year preparing to launch our ambitious 2030 plan, only to revisit it rigorously as the funding landscape continued to shift. We faced difficult decisions—rethinking our org chart, tempering our growth plans, and looking closely inward. While we feel grateful to have intentionally built an operating reserve that provides runway for our team, this moment has also brought a sobering sense of reality: a reminder of how interconnected our lives are, and how deeply global politics shape our work and futures.
Perhaps this has resonated more deeply because, for most of my life, I’ve lived nomadically—as an immigrant, albeit one with a powerful passport that I recognize as a privilege born purely of luck. While I have experienced marginalization, moments of invisibility, and being othered as a foreigner and a woman of color, I have still carried the privilege of having a place I could call home.