Date: 2025-07-02 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00006690
Dialog
Chris Macrae
University of DC follow up
Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
Re: Fwd: From Malva Reid - UDC
2 messages
christopher macrae
Reply-To: christopher macrae
To: Tebabu Assefa
Just to add my cents worth- udc was my second time meeting tebabu; last november when I first met him the model he uses excited me as one of most value multiplying network systems models I have ever seen out of washington dc; I have combed through a lot of models including many of ashoka's and few emulate the replicability and openness and potential scaling and collaboration potential of his model -we're potentially talking millions of african farmers livelihoods, and actually the same model works for many sorts of crafts which link to first ladies reforming fashion networks (one of the must do goals of the next 2 years of youth summits if the obama adminstration is to have left a mark on bottom-up value chains - the reformation of usaid that really was the number 1 yes we can job of us interactions with millennium collaboration goals -there was a day long discussion of this at mit's main development economics summit of the year last saturday)
-one of the benefits of simulations with this model is students can also benchmark several bottom-up processes such as crowdfunding where you can see what works and doesnt real time; its these sorts of processes which can make student sustainable pitches much stringer in my opinion
My understanding is there will be a summit for all interested in diaspora models and tebabu is waiting on date of that as a function of one or two congressmen
but I hope it will be before the university year ends for summer, and if for some reason the congressmen are delayed - does anyone have ideas on how we can time a conference that maximise student discussion of diaspora models?
there are also some corporate-political issues to sort out- what would whole foods reaction to this model be? would it make too many of their so-called fair trade products look mean? how to address this question is becoming quite an urgent practical matter for at least 2 reasons: 1) some of us now need to decide whether to invest time and a little money in starting up chapter of conscious capitalism dc - 2) the regional head office for 5 states is about 2 minutes walk from where I live but so far I haven’t been able to find an inside friend (of the sort I would prefer to develop communal relationships in my home neighborhood!)
chris
From: Tebabu Assefa
To: mreid@udc.edu
Cc: King Christopher
Sent: Wednesday, 12 February 2014, 10:02
Subject: Fwd: From Malva Reid - UDC
Greetings,
King forwarded your email to me. Thank you. I don't know why your email to my info@blessedcoffee.us failed to reach me. It is a correct one. Anyways, I am sending you this from my personal email.
I too have enjoyed the UDC event and was very impressed by the student's enthusiasm, questions and the conversation at the reception and your class room. I have given a speech at a few Universities including Columbia in NY and UDC, by far, is the most engaging. Please pass my thank you to the students.
Please share the links below about with your students
best,
tebabu assefa
Blessed Coffee (www.blessedcoffee.us), the recipient of the White House “Champion of Change” award is the Nation’s Second Benefit Corporation —a class of corporation that creates a positive, material impact on society. It is based on the philosophy “ from the farmer to your cup” and is developed to provide an major investment opportunity and access to profit sharing to 240,000 small coffee growers in Ethiopia organized under coffee cooperative union and communities in the US where Blessed Coffee sold.
Blessed Coffee is headquartered in Takoma Park, Maryland and was founded by husband and wife team Tebabu Assefa and Sara Mussie. Governor Martin O’Malley and Mr. Tadesse Meskela, the founder and manger of Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (www.oromiacoffeeunion.org) in Ethiopia, attended the Blessed Coffee launch, on September 15, 2011. Blessed Coffee is also distinguished for its unique business model known as Virtuous Exchange (www.brewingchange.us/virtuous-exchange)
Additional links for more info:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/brewing-change-campaign--2
http://www.gazette.net/article/20131120/NEWS/131129772/1122/SPORTS/Blessed-Coffee-company- uses-crowdfunding-to-raise-money-for-Takoma-Park-cafe&template=gazette
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/brewing-change-campaign--2
http://www.blessedcoffee.us/
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: King Christopher
Date: Tue, Feb 11, 2014 at 10:47 AM
Subject: Fwd: From Malva Reid - UDC
To: Tebabu Assefa
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: 'Reid, Malva'
Date: Feb 11, 2014 10:01 AM
Subject: From Malva Reid - UDC
To: 'king@kingconnections.net'
Good morning King,
I hope you are having a good week. I want to say how much I enjoyed the panel discussion held at UDC on January 30. It was quite informative. It truly have a different perspective for the students to think about.
I sent an email to Tebabu at info@blessedcoffee.us and it came back. Do you have a better email address for him?
Thank you. Have a great day,
Malva Daniel Reid, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Administration and Development
University of the District of Columbia
School of Business and Public Administration
4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
202-274-5544
Tebabu Assefa
Cc: 'mreid@udc.edu'
Chris,
Thank you for the support. Yes, you are right. Below is size of the population whose life Blessed Coffee aspires to impact eventually when its strategy is full implemented.
a) The Blessed Coffee selected partner, the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (www.oromiacoffeeunion.org) represents 240,000 small coffee farmers organized under framer managed coops.
b) Each farmer, on the average, has 5 family and the makes the total household ( 240,000 x 5 ) to 1.2 million people
c) In addition, the coffee farmers live among other members of the community including civil servants, and business people, estimated three adults and three children per coffee farmer. That brings the total size of population the successful implementation of Blessed Coffee can directly impact over 2 million people.
Our long term aspiration is to inspire, empower and support other US-Afrrican Diaspora entrepreneurs to duplicate the Blessed Coffee model with other product chains across Africa.
We know the key to our success is strategic partnership with like minded organization and enterprises to grow our social brand and community support.
As such, your continued support is very valuable and dearly appreciated
best,
tebabu
[Quoted text hidden]
Best,
Tebabu Assefa
Founder & Chief Storyteller
Blessed Coffee, from the farmer to your cup
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/brewing-change-campaign--2
http://www.blessedcoffee.us/
https://www.facebook.com/blessedcoffee.us
https://twitter.com/BlessedCoffee
http://about.me/tebabu.assefa