| |Join NCA!

The Coffee Summit Speakers

Session presentations now available!

Coffee Summit Facilitator

Laura Freebairn-Smith

Laura Freebairn-Smith, Organizational Performance Group, Principal

Laura Freebairn-Smith has been a consultant for such distinguished companies as the New York Times and People’s Bank. Her specialty is assisting leaders in realizing the full potential of their organizations through humanistic and analytical practices, while offering guidance in the redesign of infrastructure, the creation of strategic plans, and with organizational development.

Laura currently teaches leadership at Yale’s Drama School, and diversity and team building in the Executive MBA program at Yale’s School of Management. Prior to that, she served as Director of Yale’s Organizational Development and Learning Center, which she helped create.

Laura’s credentials include a BA from UC Berkeley (Philosophy and Political Science) and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She holds a doctorate in Organizational Systems from Saybrook Institute and has published articles and chapters on organizational development topics, most recently on the issue of stereotyping in the workplace.

Coffee Summit Speakers

 Alfonso Carmona

Alfonso Carmona, Story and Brand Director, Sustainable Harvest

Assessing Coffee’s True Sustainability: Will it Overwhelm Our Industry?
DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION (PDF)
As larger coffee roasters and retailers feel increasing pressure to verify the sustainability of their supply chain, many find themselves mired in mountains of data and metrics that are difficult to manage. Coffee’s expanding requirements for codes of conduct, multiple certifications, and intake systems are daunting to say the least. In this talk, Alfonso will look at the coffee industry’s growth toward solving the sustainability question through certifications and metrics, and share what Sustainable Harvest sees as ome of the industry’s most promising solutions.

 Tracy Ging

Tracy Ging, Vice President of Sustainability and Strategic Initiatives, S&D Coffee & Tea

Young Coffee Drinkers and Expectations for Sustainably Sourced Coffee
DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION (PDF)
Sharing research findings from a new study by S&D, Tracy will explore the expectations of young coffee drinkers as they relate to transparency, sourcing practices, and sustainability.

 Nina Goodrich

Nina Goodrich, Executive Director, GreenBlue

Single Serve Coffee and the Journey Towards a Sustainable Future
DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION (PDF)
Single-serve coffee has grown significantly based the ability to deliver a high quality cup of coffee easily and reliably, but is it sustainable? Single-serve coffee machines use water efficiently, heating only the amount required to make a cup of coffee and using the optimized amount for flavor. How do the savings in water, energy, and coffee compare with the increased use of packaging? What is on the horizon for sustainable packaging? This presentation will review key data and explore recyclability and compostability options.

Related Reading: The Opportunity of Sustainability

 Meredith Taylor

Meredith Taylor, Sustainability Manager, Counter Culture Coffee

Sustainability Beyond Origin
DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION (PDF)
Attendees will be challenged by this presentation focused around the idea that even if coffee is grown sustainably, it shouldn't necessarily retain that "sustainable" designation if others involved further down the supply chain aren't also acting responsibly.

Related Reading: Sustainability Beyond Origin

 Jennifer Turner

Jennifer Turner, Director, Woodrow Wilson Center

China’s Water Risks and Sustainable Coffee Production
DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION (PDF)
China is a huge market for both coffee production and consumption. However, pressures on water from the energy and agricultural center in the coffee heartland of Yunnan pose challenges for expanding sustainable coffee growing in China.