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Beyond trade events, it can be difficult to network and meet people across different sectors in the coffee industry. The Coffee Owners Roundtable seeks to eliminate those challenges and will host its 27th roundtable virtually on June 30th from 12 to 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
Attendees will be able to connect with over 100 coffee professionals from all corners of the industry, from roasters to baristas to farmers. According to a press release from the organization, the roundtable discussion serves as a “common space to share knowledge, navigate challenges, and simply stay ahead of the curve.”
Why It Matters: The Coffee Owners Roundtable started in 2021 in response to COVID-19 lockdowns. “In the wake of the pandemic, the Coffee Owners Roundtable emerged as a space for local coffee stakeholders to connect and find common ground with their global peers,” the press release states. “Today, the community boasts over 100 members who’ve participated in in-person roundtables across Boston, Amsterdam, Budapest, Athens, and Sevilla.”
Members of the roundtable gather virtually or in person every third Thursday of the month. “We believe in the power of community,” says Akshat Khandelwal, a former investment banker and founder of the Coffee Owners Roundtable. “It’s always reinforcing to talk to peers who share the same journey as yours. The roundtable encourages shared learning from each other’s experiences—the highs, the lows, and the behind-the-scenes.”
The Full Extraction: Khandelwal started hosting roundtables while getting his MBA at Babson College in Boston. He says he started these discussions to bring “together coffee owners to have a common place to meet peers, and enable an atmosphere of shared learning.”
Notable members of past roundtables include La Coop (Washington DC), Sofra and Beantrust (Boston), Virgen Coffee (Seville), and De Koffieschenkerji (Amsterdam).
Past in-person roundtables focused on business owners, but Khandelwal hopes a virtual setting will make room for more voices to join the conversation. “The Coffee Owners Roundtables would be an excellent opportunity for all these stakeholders to learn from each other’s unique perspectives, and bring these learnings back to their own endeavors,” he says. “Because the group includes real people doing the real work, the takeaways are rich in quality and often actionable.”
What’s More: Although the roundtables are a chance to network and build connections, the Coffee Owners Roundtable offers more than that. “This roundtable fosters actionable discussions and knowledge exchange from diverse voices,” the press release states. “The Coffee Owners Roundtable welcomes everyone in the coffee industry, from established veterans to aspiring entrepreneurs.”
Attendees can drop in and out whenever they’d like, and you don’t need to bring in any mind-blowing ideas to participate in the discussion. “Whether you’re looking to share your expertise, gain valuable insights, or simply connect with passionate peers, this roundtable is for you.”
Folks interested in attending the roundtable on June 20th should register here. To learn more about upcoming roundtables, sign up for the organization’s newsletter.
Cover photo by Jenn Chen
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