Founders' Note | October 2025
3 WINS
We kicked things off in San Cristóbal de las Casas with the 4th Women-Powered Coffee Summit! Bringing together 347 people from around the world was no small feat for our small but mighty team; and it was such a joy to watch connections form, ideas flow, and folks leave feeling inspired especially during these uncertain times. You can dive into the final report here to see what we learned and where we’re heading next.
Right after the Summit, our team got together for our annual team retreat — reflecting on every program, and thinking about our 2026 strategy.
We also wrapped up our first growth pilot across Mexico and Colombia, testing how to expand the Farmer School model — through direct recruitment or a partner approach. Early data is looking promising, and we’ll share the final results in November!
2 CHALLENGES
Fundraising. 2026 is looking trickier than expected (and I know we’re not alone here). With tighter international giving rules in the U.S., we’re rethinking our approach and welcoming more folks to join us. This’ll be a big focus for the next few months.
Following up. How much follow up is too much? I’ve been thinking a lot about the art (and science!) of gentle follow ups, especially as an introvert, but struggling to know the right time and approach to follow ups. Do you have advice?
1 ASK
We’d love your eyes on our new website! Could you (a) share any quick feedback; and (b) pass it to one person who might want to support our next big step: launching our first Farmer School in Chiapas in March 2026.
This is part of our monthly newsletter, Founders’ Note. This was written by Abhinav Khanal. Want to receive these directly in your mailbox? Subscribe to our newsletter!
