At the fellowship kickoff workshop in Atlanta. All images by Foto-Therapy Photography, courtesy of CCRE.
As it celebrates five years as an organization promoting the professional success of Black and Brown people in coffee, the United States-based Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity (CCRE) has launched the Brewing for Equity Fellowship.
The first cohort of the leadership program met late last month for a kickoff workshop in Atlanta and the program will culminate at the nonprofit’s First Sip! event in conjunction with the World of Coffee San Diego in April 2026.
“This Fellowship is about doing the hard work of leadership in an industry that hasn’t always seen us,” CCRE Founder Phyllis Johnson said in an announcement of the program. “When you see people take flight, that is where the joy and hope live.”
Components of the 10-month leadership program include: monthly sessions, a capstone project, a one-week industry immersion and an optional trip to Ethiopia for the 2026 African Fine Coffees Association conference.
Members of the first fellowship include:
- Alberto Maturino — owner of BIG-DAWG CoffeeWorks (Instagram)
- Emary Greene — owner of Junebug Coffee and production roaster and barista training manager at Sightseer Coffee in Austin, Texas
- Martell Mason — CEO and head roaster at Sepia Coffee Project in Detroit
- Shanita Nicholas — co-founder of Sip & Sonder and Sonder Impact in Inglewood, California
- Dr. Tiffany Johnson James — associate professor and coffee researcher in Atlanta
Phyllis Johnson, who leads the Atlanta-based coffee trading company BD Imports, founded the CCRE in 2020 during social unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd by police. The group has since expanded its reach through an awards program and private partnerships.
“This first group is setting the tone and building the community that will carry this work forward,” Johnson said.
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