S&D Coffee & Tea continued its commitment to the specialty coffee industry by serving as the sole sponsor for the Re:co Fellowship program for the third consecutive year. The Fellowship program grants access to individuals who might not have otherwise been able to attend the Re:co Symposium, held April 19-20 in Seattle, as well as the Global Specialty Coffee Expo (GSCE) that followed.

Re:co Symposium Fellows are future and current leaders in specialty coffee, helping to shape the conversation and design the path forward for the industry. This year the number of Fellows supported by S&D increased to 40, up from 25 in 2015.

In addition to the fellowship program, S&D sponsored the Fellows Lounge at the Symposium. The S&D Fellows Lounge offered recipients of the annual Re:co Symposium Fellowship Award—as well as all delegates—a place to connect, explore ideas and find solutions to some of the most pressing industry issues. Select Fellows also shared their work during the Tuesday night Re:ception, held April 18.

“From participating in the selection committee to serving as advocates of the program, S&D is proud to be involved in the Re:co Fellowship program for the third year in a row,” says John Buckner, VP of marketing for S&D. “We continue our commitment to providing these emerging coffee leaders with educational opportunities and the chance to connect with fellow members of the specialty coffee community through Re:co and the GSCE.”

The Fellowship program once again included a mentoring component that matched Fellows with leaders in the global coffee industry for a series of conversations and in-person dialogue. Three individuals from S&D served as mentors: Olga L Cuellar G., sustainable sourcing manager; David Piza, director of corporate social responsibility and sustainability; and Carlos Palacios, director of coffee sourcing.