The Mighty Pod

Cosecha Traders on Instagram   Join us for a deep discussion exploring Luis and Jim's origin stories in peace building and diplomacy, and from back stories to coffee through sharing a macro view of the recent decades at origin. Jim and Luis share about the recent decades, setting the context, the reality today for farmers in their countries. We reach a peak in the conversation on what transparency means, Sustainability, and conflict. These are not just words. Peace is possible through solidarity and transparency. And regenerative organic practices and above fair trade prices help today.

Kris Carlson and Blair Smith are outstanding leaders in specialty coffee. Each boss entered coffee with a developed creative and community focus. Join as Kris and Blair share inside perspectives, what's misunderstood about coffee, what's exciting, and where they are taking their careers. Hear why they are stepping into green with Mighty Peace, and of the impact they are setting course to achieve. They enjoy peace with every sip.

This episode, like Rachel's recipe, is a blast of summer sunshine on this cold winter day. We get to know the woman behind the Cold Brew Chick, Rachel Dillon. Enjoy this fun ride through musical theater, coffee and cold brew. Refreshing, light, and filled with swagger, hear what Rachel has to say about what she's learned producing Cold Brew Chick over the years. And remember, enjoy cold brew peace with every sip! https://www.coldbrewchick.com/

“When you nearly die, you realize … participation is not guaranteed” The man behind Keys to the Shop, Chris Deferio, takes us on a lifelong journey including a near-death experience, the philosophical underpinnings to his approach to life, unpacking explorations in ethics, transparency and trust; industry trends and marketing, and what we can and should trust - ourselves and our ability to learn, connect and discern. And a book recommendation, Leadership and Self-Deception, Arbinger Institute. We hope you enjoy the podcast, and peace with every sip!

Portland Coffee Roaster's Mark Stell has cemented a legacy bending the arc of a broken industry towards social Justice and sustainability.    After a trip to Brazil in 1992, Stell immersed himself in the cultures of coffee, coffee-growing regions, eco-family farming, and ethical business practices. Mark's earth-friendly sustainability practices as well as his front line work has made and continues to make a broken industry better, and you can't miss the epic photography along the way!

Like most of us, Mike McKim fell into coffee after a life of moving, learning, and travels. Mike shares the stories and turning points that propelled him and his wife, partner, and creative partner Michelle towards innovation and consistent growth for Austin's finest: Cuvée Coffee. Mike shares the human experience behind CEOing, business decisions, and a lifelong pursuit of balance in business; and key business takeaways: Remain productive, go into debt, diversify business lines, stay in the game. Oh yea, and we talk coffee. Enjoy peace with every sip!

Coffee industry rules are stacked for the industry and profits, blocking farmers from full economic participation. Until the system changes, we're really just talking about change. From controversies with Newman's Own, to a 'no advertising' advertising strategy, Dean has blazed the profitable ethical path for the rest of us - and Mighty Peace Coffee picks up the torch of change determined to change those rules to include farmers. This is not your grandad's podcast episode, buckle up!

Facilitating an environment where everyone feels welcome, striking that perfect blend between what the government advises and the local Houston needs, Dean from Boomtown takes us on a shutdown journey with integrity and love. From his time in the military and Starbucks, Dean forged a path in the specialty. Beginning in a coffeeshop inside a church, how he made his first pour over, and attempted latte art, we ensure you the richest of storytelling from industry leader and shutdown innovators, Boomtown.   Guest: Dean Borgerding

This episode was recorded in mid June 2020, Taylor and the mighty peace team foreshadowed Covid resurgence in the US while expressing explicit concern for Brazil and Mexico. The team discusses Intersectionality of public health, social justice, and economic crisis. The team speaks about police brutality and racism, and a lack of diversity in specialty coffee among owners and leaders in labs and rosters. Guest: Taylor Mork

"We're stronger together regardless of gender" - Amaris, Women in Coffee. From colonialism, political instability and immigration, to coffee shops, international development, and gender equity; the powers behind Joe Coffee and Mighty Peace Coffee discuss the intersectionality of economics, development, gender rights, and coffee. From NYCs greatest, Joe Coffee, we welcome Amaris Gutierrez-Ray to We Rise. Amaris reflects on her journey into coffee, founding the Women in Coffee Project, and what it's like working in a shutdown NYC, without traffic or crowds. As leaders in the industry, Joe Coffee launches a crowdfunding campaign, The Pause coffee, and strategic partnerships to stand with their staff as we navigate the shutdown safely. We stand with Joe Coffee. Thank you Amaris! Shout outs: Ruth Ann from Artisan Coffee Imports, @artisan_coffeeimports Women in Coffee Project Stephanie Pitsirilos-Boquin, writer, advocate   Guests: Amaris Gutierrez-Ray, Joe Coffee Liza Elena Pitsirilos, Mighty Peace Coffee   Hosts: Jim Ngokwey, Mighty Peace Coffee JD Stier, Mighty Peace Coffee

The Mighty Peace train heads home to our beloved Democratic Republic of Congo for the first time with We Rise. Managing Partners Jim and JD set the stage for an episode led by the all-women Chiefdom, Chief Executive Officer Liza Elena Pitsirilos and Chief Quality Officer Linda Mugaruka. A Master Agronomist and respected community and coffee leader, Linda shares stories of new varieties, advanced practices, the impact of Covid, and emerging trends in Congo coffee. You will need a cup listening to this episode - Enjoy Peace with Every Sip!

The Mighty Peace train has returned from West Africa, arriving in Boston - on the frontlines of the Covid pandemic. We hear the first-hand accounts of Julie Kabukanyi, a Boston-based Congolese nurse in a Covid unit, and our brother in activism Garrett Moore returns from Episode 1 with updates and reflections. We are on the edge of our seats as we hear them open up about the birth of the modern day human rights movement Stand with Congo, and the 2017 meeting that sparked the birth of Mighty Peace Coffee a year later. We meet the big bosses at Mighty Peace Coffee, Liza Elena Pitsirilos, CEO and Jim Ngokwey, Managing Partner. Liza and Jim take us behind-the-scenes, opening up with stories that led four entrepreneurs to start Mighty Peace Coffee as a model of regenerative sustainable business, leaving a legacy we can be proud of. Mentions/Handles: Tom Perriello, Cindy McCain, Fred Bauma, Barriques, Bodhi Leaf, Ampersand             View this post on Instagram                   Senator Young, will you #StandWithCongo | Activists from all corners of the United States met with foreign affairs leader Senator Young urging legislative action #congo #elections A post shared by JD Stier (@jdstier) on Oct 3, 2017 at 8:22am PDT

In the final chapter of our series opener, JD, Abdul, and Aminata take us from the early days of an outbreak (Episode 1), what it took to lead a nation to focus on public health (Episode 2), and now in part three - the Road to Recovery (This Episode!). Aminata and Abdul share that the road to recovery in their great nation required (1) A common cause, we as a people begin to speak with one voice; (2) Public health, it's not complex at the individual level, maintain social distance, wash hands, encourage testing and treatment; and (3) Media leads the way - reclaim the media narrative for survivorship, yes we can make it, and yes, I survived, we survive, and now let's get on the road to recovery. As Aminata says "we never relent!" We focus on critical public health actions and social responsibility. There was life before Ebola, there is a life after the outbreak. Here is our story.   Host: JD Stier Co-host: Abdul Jalloh Guest: Aminata Kargbo   Writer: JD Stier, Abdul Jalloh   Handles/Mentions: Jeffrey Wright Paul Farmer Partners in Health (org) Paul G Allen Family Foundation

The Mighty Peace train returns to Freetown Sierra Leone to meet again with Aminata Kargbo and Abdul Jalloh, along with host JD Stier the three explore what it took to contain and end the Ebola outbreak in west Africa. They explore the effects of complacency, the societal cost of ignoring public health actions, which we can see manifesting as protests in the United States today. In this episode there's deep discussion about the strategies, tactics, and solidarity necessary to contain and end the outbreak. There are powerful lessons we can derive from west Africa's success, We rise. Handle: Global Citizen Handle: Verizon Handle: Paul G Allen Family Foundation   Host: JD Stier Guests: Abdul Jalloh, Aminata Kargbo   A clip from the Team Survive Live event in Freetown Sierra Leone spring 2015           Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an                   @isurvivedebola launches #teamsurvive Sierra Leone @seansouthey Ein Beitrag geteilt von JD Stier (@jdstier) am Mär 18, 2015 um 7:36 PDT           Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an                   Love to #teamsurvive Sierra Leone. Thank you! Off to Conakry today to meet #teamsurvive Guinea Ein Beitrag geteilt von JD Stier (@jdstier) am Mär 21, 2015 um 2:05 PDT    

At Mighty Peace Coffee, our values: people, the planet, and peace drive our decisions. When the pandemic hit, we found ourselves in a position to do more than deliver epic coffee and powerful transformative coffee stories. Host JD Stier's background is in public policy and documentary filmmaking. In 2014 JD was hired to produce a 30 part documentary series profiling Ebola survivors. He flew from New York City into West Africa at the height of the Ebola outbreak, where he and his film crews worked with survivors in the three hardest countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. We are many weeks into this pandemic, and we are shocked at the lack of lessons we're deriving from West Africa. West Africans were successful in containing the outbreak, protecting the rest of the planet.   The coffee industry is a global network of worldly, highly educated, and intellectually curious leaders. No other industry on earth has such a commitment to global citizenship, global cooperation, and working level expertise operating all around the world, including in some pretty rough countries, from The Americas to Africa and Asia. We had planned to launch our podcast, The Mighty Pod, interviewing epic baristas, bad ass roasters, farmers with swag from the Congo, yea - people like you, And we look forward to launching our podcast at an appropriate time. As Covid struck, we found ourselves in a position to be the ones to share those West African lessons, that successful focus which contained and ultimately shut down the Ebola outbreak. So instead of simply launching The Mighty Pod, today we launch a special eight part series, We Rise.    We hope you enjoy our special series, our epic Congo coffee, and a music video JD produced as part of the Ebola response: Omekongo - We Rise