We have a look at key moments from the Worldwide Girls’s Espresso Alliance (IWCA) Chapter Encounter, a historic gathering for ladies in espresso.
BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Photographs by Vasileia Fanarioti
On January 28–29, the Accademia del Caffè Espresso in Florence, Italy, grew to become the stage for a landmark occasion within the international espresso neighborhood. The Worldwide Girls’s Espresso Alliance (IWCA) Chapter Encounter, the primary occasion of its sort, introduced collectively IWCA members from international locations across the globe to collaborate, share data, and create new pathways for ladies within the espresso trade.
Barista Journal was on-site to report on the discussions, workshops, and connections that passed off throughout this necessary gathering.
A Day of Dialogue and Collaboration
To open the occasion, leaders from De’Longhi Group, the IWCA, and La Marzocco gave a heat welcoming speech, setting the tone for a day devoted to schooling, empowerment, and networking. Moderators Blanca Castro, govt director of IWCA, and Massimo Battaglia, head of espresso analysis on the Accademia, guided the agenda, guaranteeing a dynamic and fascinating expertise.
All through the morning, thought management speeches tackled vital themes. Jessica Sartiani, a espresso knowledgeable and barista, spoke on the intersection of sustainability and consciousness, highlighting the necessity for intentional decisions in sourcing and enterprise practices. Veronica Rossi, sustainability senior supervisor at Lavazza Group, introduced “A Cup of Studying,” a program that gives younger folks with alternatives to enter the espresso sector. These periods underscored the trade’s accountability to foster inclusion and development.
Strengthening the IWCA’s International Community
A key goal of the IWCA Chapter Encounter was to foster collaboration between IWCA chapters from world wide, together with representatives from Japan, South Korea, the United States, Australia, Italy, Spain, Greece, and newly forming chapters in Germany, Canada, and Portugal. With greater than 34 IWCA Chapters globally, this gathering supplied a uncommon alternative for leaders to satisfy face-to-face, trade experiences, and strategize for the long run.
Every chapter took the stage to share totally different components of their journey—from early challenges in establishing an area community to key achievements in empowering girls of their respective espresso sectors. Some chapters highlighted profitable packages which have superior schooling and profession development, whereas others spoke candidly in regards to the hurdles they face, whether or not in securing funding, constructing partnerships, or amplifying girls’s voices in male-dominated espresso areas.
Workshops all through the day took these discussions a step additional. Fairly than stopping at dialog, the objective was to show dialogue into motion. Guided by the IWCA International Chapters’ mission, every workshop centered on creating concrete subsequent steps to handle shared challenges. Whether or not it was creating structured mentorship packages, discovering methods to attach women-owned companies throughout markets, or outlining methods for larger illustration in management roles, each session emphasised accountability and follow-through.
The occasion additionally laid the inspiration for the IWCA Specialists Community, a brand new initiative designed to attach girls leaders worldwide. This platform will function a useful resource hub for mentorship, enterprise growth, and trade innovation, guaranteeing that the progress made through the encounter extends far past this gathering and into the way forward for the espresso trade.
Florence Espresso Tour: A Cultural Alternate
The second day of the occasion took attendees on a espresso store tour by way of Florence, providing a glimpse into town’s vibrant espresso tradition. IWCA Italy curated an itinerary mixing conventional and modern specialty cafés, showcasing the assembly of Italian espresso heritage and fashionable specialty-coffee developments. The tour supplied not simply an academic expertise but in addition a possibility for casual networking and cultural trade.
The tour culminated in a go to to DiniCaffè Roasters, positioned within the historic coronary heart of Florence. Now led by sisters Serena and Benedetta Nobili, DiniCaffè represents a household legacy in roasting, with a renewed give attention to high quality, sustainability, and innovation. Attendees had the possibility to discover the roastery’s operations, take part in a guided espresso tasting, and listen to the sisters’ story: a candid dialog in regards to the challenges and triumphs of main a roasting enterprise as girls in Italy’s historically male-dominated espresso trade.
In Closing
The IWCA Chapter Encounter marks a turning level in how girls’s roles in coffee-consuming markets are acknowledged and supported. By fostering connections between consumers, roasters, baristas, and trade leaders, the occasion highlighted that ladies’s contributions lengthen far past the farm stage. With the backing of sponsors like De’Longhi Group, Bunn, and Caffè Vergnano, the encounter set the stage for future collaborations that can form the trade in 2025 and past.
As Barista Journal witnessed firsthand, this gathering was not nearly dialog—it was about motion. The commitments made in Florence will ripple by way of the worldwide espresso neighborhood, guaranteeing that ladies in coffee-consuming international locations proceed to have a seat on the desk, driving innovation and alter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior on-line correspondent for Barista Journal and a contract copywriter and editor with a main give attention to the espresso area of interest. She has additionally been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, offering content material to assist educate folks about baristas and their work.
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