NKG Pace is a yearlong paid training program created by the Neumann Gruppe USA and the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity for the purpose of providing hands-on experience to Black coffee professionals who want to transition their careers into green coffee trading. The only real drawback for NKG Pace has been the limited availability; it’s difficult to offer paid training of this sort on a broad scale.
So to remedy that, NKG Pace has announced the Open Access Series, free monthly learning events “designed to foster knowledge-sharing and professional development, particularly among BIPOC in the coffee industry,” and will follow along with the NKG Pace curriculum.
Kicking off in July, the online series will consist of three total events taking place in as many months. Topics to be discussed include “sustainability, farm management, logistics, green coffee purchasing, and how to be a better cupper,” per the press release. Each session will be led by global members of the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe as well as other experts in that particular area of the coffee chain.
“When it comes to learning about the supply chain that precedes roasting, it can be intimidating, and costly, to find serious learning opportunities. Nearly everyone we interviewed during the most recent application process mentioned this,” says NKG PACE Education Lead Amanda Armbrust-Asselin. “We took that feedback to heart and considered how we could open up the program’s curriculum to benefit more individuals alongside each NKG PACE cohort.”
The first event will take place July 10th and will focus on “The Power of Processing.” The one-hour course will cover different processing methods and why they are used, how processing contributes to cup quality, and the risks, costs, and needs dictating processing decisions. Speakers include NKG’s Switzerland-based Head of Quality Gloria Pedroza, third-generation producer and NKG exporter in Costa Rica Diego Guardia, and Ecuador-based coffee consultant and Chain Collaborative member Camilia Khalife.
Each of the Open Access Series events is completely free to attend, but an RSVP is required, which can be made here. For more information on the Open Access Series, to see the full roster of topics, or to RSVP, visit NKG Pace’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
