CCRE Board Members and Volunteers at the 2025 First Sip event in Houston. All images courtesy of the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity.
The Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity recently celebrated the work of BLK & Bold, Keith Hawkins and Martell Mason for their leadership, creativity and service in moving the coffee industry forward.
In conjunction with the recent 2025 SCA Expo in Houston, the CCRE held its second annual First Sip event and awards, shining a light on Black coffee professionals working to reshape and build a more inclusive coffee industry.
(Read DCN’s complete 2025 Expo coverage.)
Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson
Rod Johnson and Pernell Cezar, the founders of Iowa-based roasting and beverage company BLK & Bold, were given the Excellence in Coffee Leadership Award. A certified B Corporation, BLK & Bold has become the first Black-owned nationally distributed coffee brand in the United States, while donating 5% of profits to organizations supporting underserved youth.
Keith Hawkins
Houston’s own Keith Hawkins, founder of the nonprofit Color of Coffee Collective, received the Local Hero Award. Hawkins has spent more than two decades advocating for diversity and opportunity within the coffee industry.
CCRE Founder Phyllis Johnson with Martell Mason
Martell Mason, the founder of Sepia Coffee Project in Metro Detroit, received the Emerging Voices in Coffee Award. Mason, who is currently building out a new roastery, is trying to make quality coffee more accessible to underserved neighborhoods, while simultaneously building a more inclusive coffee culture.
“The First Sip is a celebration of vision, courage, and collaboration,” CCRE Founder and President Phyllis Johnson said in an announcement of the awards. “We gather to lift each other up, recognize those who are making a difference, and inspire new possibilities for our industry.”
Johnson founded the CCRE in 2020, asking the coffee industry to address systemic racism through a united coalition of coffee professionals and organizations. The nonprofit organization is currently preparing to launch a new leadership development program.
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