Joe Coffee in Philly will host a three-part coffee competition—including a latte art throwdown, triangulation, and sensory challenge—to support the IWCA.
BY ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
On February 13, the folks at Joe Coffee, with the Philly TNT group, will host a three-part coffee competition. The event, which will be held at the Joe Coffee in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, will benefit the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA).
The event is a celebration of the Philly coffee community, specifically those of marginalized backgrounds. Organizer Kendra Sledzinski, who has put together a number of coffee competitions in the Philly community, tries to always include a philanthropic angle to each event she hosts, and is thrilled to be working with the IWCA on this event. “The IWCA mission is to ‘empower women in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives; and to encourage and recognize the participation of women in all aspects of the coffee industry,’” she shares. “I feel deeply motivated by their mission and am honored to fundraise for them.”
The event will include a latte art throwdown, a triangulation, and a sensory challenge so folks can flex a number of different coffee muscles. The suggested buy-in price is $10 (all money goes to the IWCA), and attendees are encouraged to donate if they can. “When I held a similar event last year, we raised $500 for Planned Parenthood, and Oatly generously matched our donation. We’re hoping to top that this year, especially given the coffee focus of the IWCA. Oatly is joining us in sponsorship again this year, with Dona Chai as another sponsor partner,” Kendra shares.
This event is part of an effort to highlight the voices of women at origin, and will be part of a series called Women in Coffee: Origin & Supply Chain, which, as Kendra explains, “ … will bring producer voices to an industry panel a few days after SCA Expo in April.” The event will take place in New York City and invites producers from across the globe to share their experiences and knowledge of the coffee supply chain.
Doors for the Philly event open at 7:30 p.m., and the competition begins at 8. Check out more at Coffee Friends PHL!
