Core Team

The team behind the Initiative is committed to educating underserved students into careers that have a positive impact on the world, promote social and environmental justice, and support sustainable development and equity in the food system.

Stephanie Alcala, M.S.

Coffee industry expert, Adjunct Professor at Whittier College and Whittier College alumna. Stephanie provides knowledge and logistical support to the various initiatives and is the team’s connection with the coffee industry. Stephanie graduated from Whittier College in 2015 and continued her studies at the University of Michigan, where she obtained a master’s in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology focusing on the molecular ecology of coffee and on how coffee forests create sustainable ecosystems and help mitigate climate change. She is currently a Junior Coffee Trader.

Setayesh Sattari, Ph.D.

Former Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Whittier College and expert in international business and sustainable development. Setayesh participates in projects aimed at investigating the sustainability of the coffee supply chain. 

Students

Interns: Nona Golden, Allison Lou, Duncan Charboneau, Audrey Sparks, Molly Landon, Allison Lou, Connor Hoemann, Kirstin DeMarquez. 

Summer fellows: Aman Kumpawat, Adriana Cox-Gonzalez, Jacqueline Torres, Katie Ann Huy, Jillian Weber, Tiffany Tang, Catherine Acosta, Allison Lou, Cassandra Avila, Andrea Wainwright, Audrey Sparks, Emily Perez-Medina.

Field Assistants: Fernando Ramirez, Juli Veneri, Ella Maurer, Andrea Wainwright