Debora Giorgi

Ethiopian entrepreneur empowering women through sustainable coffee cooperatives

Debora Giorgi is a visionary Ethiopian entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to economic empowerment through her work with female coffee farmers. Since launching Giorgi Coffee Cooperative in 2021, she has transformed the lives of over 1,200 women in the Oromia region by providing them with fair trade opportunities and agricultural training programs. Her innovative approach combines traditional coffee cultivation practices with modern business strategies, ensuring both environmental sustainability and economic viability.

Giorgi's initiative addresses multiple challenges: it breaks gender barriers in a male-dominated industry, fights poverty through equitable profit-sharing models, and preserves Ethiopia's rich coffee heritage. The cooperative's premium organic beans now supply top international markets including Nescafé and specialty roasters in Europe. Her 2023 TEDx talk "Brewing Equality Through Coffee" has inspired global audiences to rethink supply chain ethics.

In 2024, she launched the Women's Agripreneur Academy, offering free training to rural women in agribusiness management and digital marketing. This program has expanded to Kenya and Uganda, proving her model's replicability. Giorgi's work was recently featured in National Geographic's "Women of Impact" series, highlighting her role in creating a new paradigm for female leadership in African agriculture.