FIP 026: Disrupting the Coffee Industry with Vava Angwenyi

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Vava is the entrepreneur behind Vava Coffee – a social enterprise here in Kenya which has the lives of 30,000 coffee farmers at heart. Having studied in the US, Canada and Europe, she drank alot of coffee – like many people in the west – and so began her journey of discovery that brought her home to Kenya. She’s been challenging the unsustainable coffee industry for nearly 10 years and with bucket loads of grit and determination, has started a movement in her company, Vava Coffee.

On this episode, we discuss:

The intention’s behind Vava Coffee, and what more it represents, which is alot more that just selling coffee.
The implications for choosing the path of a social entrepreneur, both positive and negative, as opposed to working for pure profit.
How Vava has seen the ease of setting up a business in Kenya has improved in the last few years.
Some of the challenges of working with government, and the tactics to employ.
The negative effects of being a successful woman entrepreneur in Kenya, and some of the prejudice she’s faced along the way.
Vava’s advice on disrupting any established industry.
The expectations of how long change at the grassroots level takes, and how patience is key.

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