Arthur Karuletwa

Arthur Karuletwa

Global Director of Traceability, Starbucks, Seattle


Preserving Identity Through Coffee Traceability

Arthur Karuletwa is a native of Rwanda, but lived as a refugee in Uganda and Kenya in the 1990’s. Today, he sees coffee as a source of healing and empowerment, and has developed a program to trace coffee beans from the point of origin through the supply chain.

In surviving the horrific genocide of his people and murder of his family, Karuletwa was stripped of his identity. As an immigrant in America, he has dedicated his life to preserving the identity of others. Waging a war on poverty through agriculture and traceability, Karuletwa points to our food and drink as a reflection of our identity and culture, something we must understand to better act as agents of global development.

 

To stay up to date on everything MAD, follow us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter below.



Related videos

Burning the Candle at Both Ends

Angela Dimayuga

Creative Director of Food and Culture at The Standard and ex-Mission Chinese chef Angela Dimayuga on combatting burn-out and "kamakze kitchen culture."

Finding Peace in the Kitchen

Michael Miller

When meditating, you're resting two to five times more than when you sleep. Across the globe Michael Miller teaches the ancient technique of Vedic Meditation in a way that is accessible and relevant to people living in today's world.

On Food, Authenticity, and Culture

Chris Ying, Romy Gill

Romy and Chris break down what authenticity means, and discuss what it means to take a cultural artifact out of its original locality, or in other words: the significance of exploring Indian cuisine in a British context.

HELP US STAY MAD

Support

By supporting MAD, you empower a global hospitality community to bring new skills, perspective, and passion to their communities and the world. MAD’s programs are only made possible through your generosity - we couldn’t be MAD without you.

Subscribe

Newsletter

Sign up to get the latest on MAD’s programs, events, applications, and opportunities, and insider scoop for friends and alumni of MAD.