From First Export to Lasting Impact: Meet Jose & Karen

When we first met Jose Gomez in 2016, he was already a skilled and respected coffee farmer, but like many in his community, he had never exported a container of coffee. That changed when we partnered with him. Together, we navigated the complexities of exporting, and soon after, Think Coffee proudly became the recipient of Jose’s very first international shipment.

That first container from Aponte was just the beginning.

Over the years, we’ve built a close, trust-based relationship with Jose. His passion for cultivating exceptional coffee, and for uplifting his fellow farmers, has helped grow a vibrant, thriving network of producers in the region. His wife, Karen Mora, joined the effort in 2018 and quickly became an indispensable part of our mission. Today, Karen leads our housing reconstruction initiatives in both Aponte and Consaca, bringing care, leadership, and lasting change to farming communities.

Together, Karen and Jose embody everything we believe in at Think Coffee: a commitment to quality, community, and sustainability. They’ve introduced us to some of the most talented farmers in the region and continue to be essential partners in our sourcing model.

We’re excited to keep growing alongside them, and to keep discovering the incredible producers they bring into our circle.

Here are just a few of the remarkable farming relationships they’ve helped us build:

MELKY CHAVES

We probably wouldn’t have met Melky and his incredible award-winning coffees without Jose. Melky is one of the most accomplished farmers in the region, and we have Jose to thank for the introduction. We have little doubt that Jose will keep doing great work in the region and will also keep introducing us to more and more passionate farmers like Melky.

APONTE - EL PARAMO

There are more than 200 smallholder coffee farmers in the native reservation of Aponte, Colombia, each harvesting and drying coffee from their own small farms. Our partnership is with local farmer Israel Jamioy and his family, a group of about five producers with small farms in El Páramo. Each farmer harvests and dries their own coffee before selling it in parchment (pergamino). José, our exporting partner at PROCAAL, processes the coffee and exports it directly to Think Coffee. Through our direct relationship with Israel and his family, we have verified that the amount they receive from our purchase represents a livable wage.

JHEISON LOPEZ

In 2025, we met Jheison Lopez through our partners at PROCAAL while cupping coffees at the dry mill in Pasto. Jheison is a third-generation farmer from Buesaco who learned to grow coffee from his grandfather, one of the first farmers in the community to gain recognition for exceptional coffee quality. At a time when many young people are leaving coffee farming behind, Jheison is continuing his family’s work alongside his parents, carrying forward what his grandfather started while building a future for the farm.

WEYKMAN JOJOA

In 2021, Jose introduced us to Weykman Jojoa. Before purchasing his own farm, Weykman worked for many years as a coffee buyer in the region and learned what it takes to grow great coffee. Weykman employs approximately 30 workers on his farm, and with the help of Karen Mora, we helped rebuild the home of one of his workers that was in severe disrepair.