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Barista Champion Lem Butler Leading 10K Fundraising Walk in Ethiopia
2016 U.S. Barista Champion Lem Butler is leading a 10-kilometer fundraising walk in Sidama, Ethiopia, on International Women’s Day, March 8. The effort is designed to highlight the long distances many rural women travel to reach basic health services. Donations will support Grounds for Health’s cervical cancer prevention programs, with gifts matched by Royal Coffee up to $10,000.
Coffee Project NY Women Coffee Roasters Scholarship Program Coming to Colombia
Coffee Project NY announced applications for its 2026 Women in Coffee Roasters Scholarship will open March 1 and close March 31, with six recipients to be announced in April. The program includes a custom Specialty Coffee Association Roasting Foundation course taught by co-founder and head roaster Chi Sum Ngai. While previous scholarship courses were held in New York, the 2026 courses will take place in Colombia to provide opportunities that might otherwise be scarce because of U.S. travel restrictions.
Matt Daks and Serena Beze Join StoneX Specialty Coffee
StoneX Specialty Coffee has added leadership for its North American green coffee business, naming Serena Beze as a sales executive and Matt Daks as senior vice president. The company is also promoting a new “Import Services” program for full-container sourcing combined with risk-management, financing and logistics services.
Dean’s Beans’ Beth Spong to Deliver IWCA Keynote at NCA Convention
The International Women’s Coffee Alliance is hosting its annual Networking Breakfast on March 13 from 8 to 9 a.m. during the 2026 National Coffee Association Convention in Tampa, Florida. Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company CEO Beth Spong will deliver a keynote address.
AeroPress Introduces Stainless Steel AeroPress Steel Brewer
AeroPress has introduced the AeroPress Steel, a stainless steel version of its brewer featuring the company’s “3-in-1” brew method and a larger 12-ounce (360 milliliter) capacity, which the company says is about 20% more volume than its standard-size models. AeroPress says it is available in stainless and “black stainless” finishes.
Dutch Bros Says “Dutch Luv” Day Generated More Than $1.1 Million for Local Food Nonprofits
Dutch Bros Coffee says its annual Dutch Luv Day of Giving on Feb. 13 resulted in more than $1.1 million in donations to local food nonprofits. The company says the Dutch Bros Foundation contributed $1 for every drink sold that day.
World Coffee Research Appoints Lissette Hernández Senior Research Technician
World Coffee Research says it has appointed Lissette Hernández as senior research technician, supporting global breeding trials and field activities, including the Innovea Global Breeding Network. Hernández is based in Turrialba, Costa Rica.
SCA Webinar on “Rewarding Biodiverse Approaches” Coming March 3
The Specialty Coffee Association is promoting a free-to-attend webinar on March 3 at 11 a.m. Eastern titled “Discovering Value for Shared Prosperity: Rewarding Biodiverse Approaches.” Juanita Duque, Angela Peláez and Andrés Montenegro will lead a discussion on models that reward farmers with premiums for protecting biodiversity and natural ecosystems.
Julius Meinl Says It Has Reached 100% “Responsibly Selected Coffee”
Austrian roasting company Julius Meinl says all green coffee roasted at its production plants in Vienna and Vicenza now meets its definition of “Responsibly Selected Coffee,” aligned with the Global Coffee Platform Coffee Sustainability Reference Code.
Brazil’s CONAB Launches Free “Parque Cafeeiro” Platform for EUDR Compliance
Brazil’s National Supply Company (CONAB) says it has launched a public, free “Parque Cafeeiro” platform that integrates government databases and satellite monitoring to help support due diligence tied to the EU’s deforestation regulation (EUDR).
New from CoffeeIndustryJobs.com
- Accounting Specialist — Atlas Coffee Importers
- Sales & Marketing Specialist — Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Inc.
- Director of Coffee — Coffeebar
- Corporate Controller — Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA
- Quality Control Manager — Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA
- Eastern Roasting Supervisor — Counter Culture Coffee
ICYMI
Here are some of DCN’s top stories from the past week…
Barista Magazine Hosting Camp Coffee Shop in Napa
Registration opened today (Feb. 25) for the inaugural Camp Coffee Shop, a four-day business education event in Napa Valley, California, for current and aspiring coffee shop owners and other coffee professionals… read more
Caffè Nero’s $4.7 Million Bid Leads Compass Coffee Chapter 11 Auction
Caffè Nero North America emerged as the winning bidder in Compass Coffee’s Chapter 11 sale process this week, with a bid valued at $4,764,988, according to court documents… read more
Spirit Animal Rebrands to Spirit Origin, Opens Honduras Flagship
Honduras-based, globally focused specialty coffee company Spirit Animal Coffee has rebranded to Spirit Origin while opening a new flagship retail complex in Roatán… read more
National Coffee Association Names 2026 Industry Award Winners
The U.S. National Coffee Association (NCA) announced the recipients of its 2026 individual awards and its 2026 “Origin Charity of the Year” Award, with presentations planned during the trade group’s annual convention in Tampa, Florida, March 12-14… read more
James Marcotte, a Beloved Figure in California Coffee, Dies at 63
James Paul Marcotte, the co-founder of City Bean Roasters and longtime Western U.S. sales director for Intelligentsia Coffee, died Feb. 16 at the age of 63… read more
Imagine you are searching for a new mattress online and find something surprising… read more
Black Sheep Plans 20 More North Texas Stores as Chain Landscape Heats Up
UK-born coffee chain Black Sheep Coffee is preparing a major push in the United States through a 20-unit franchise agreement for North Texas with one of its existing UK franchisees, Yoloways Ltd… read more
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