Oh, hey there! My name is Ali and I’m a designer with a passion for creating brands that are designed to speak to the right audiences. Because of course, being hot is great, but being understood is even better. I also prefer brands that act for the common good, or help improve people’s lives. Transparency and authenticity are critical in building every brand.
Inspired by my love of coffee and empowering women in their communities, I created Sister Golden, a gender-focused coffee roastery supporting social justice and empowerment for women coffee producers worldwide. Women around the world are the backbone of global agricultural production, making up almost half of the worldwide agricultural workforce. In some countries, that number goes as high as 70%. When it comes to our beloved cup of coffee, women are on the frontlines too. They serve as the primary labor force on roles that most affect quality, from picking the ripe coffee cherries off the tree to sorting beans throughout processing. These women in agriculture face many obstacles such as earning little to no income, a lack of representation in leadership roles, and limited access to and control of land. There is an opportunity to tackle these obstacles and promote actionable change through the production of consumer goods. When women are fully involved in the coffee production process, the benefits can be seen immediately: families are healthier; they are better fed; their income, savings and reinvestment go up. And what is true of families is true of communities and, eventually, whole countries.
