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October 16, 2026Episode 112529 min

What Can Men Do to Make Coffee Safer for Women? (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1125 Part 5 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by CoffeeListings.com , by Map It Forward - the marketplace where the coffee world does business. Find or list coffee, equipment, services, jobs, businesses, wanted ads, and other opportunities across the global coffee industry. www.coffeelistings.com Episode Description **CONTENT WARNING:** This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, workplace violence, psychological abuse, gender discrimination, intimidation, and harassment. Some of the experiences and situations referenced may be distressing for listeners. Please use your discretion when listening. This is part 1 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is returning guest Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab in Brazil. The theme of this series is "Being 'Not a Man' in Coffee," and we're opening a conversation about what women experience in the coffee industry, the behaviours that have been normalised, and why so many women feel unable to speak openly about what's happened to them. In this first episode, Lee and Isabela share deeply personal and confronting accounts of sexual assault, harassment, intimidation, and abuse of power within the coffee industry. Lee recounts two experiences shared with her by women in the industry, including a young employee who was allegedly assaulted by her employer during a business trip and another woman who described repeated sexual assaults by her boss while feeling financially trapped in her employment. Isabela shares her own experience of being sexually assaulted by a senior executive at a coffee company in Brazil, and the devastating discovery that, according to information subsequently shared with her, other senior men at the company had discussed and anticipated the encounter. Together, they explore the culture that allows these experiences to go unchallenged, the fear of professional retaliation, the silence of bystanders, and the difficulty women face in being recognised as professionals rather than being judged or objectified because of their gender. This is not a conversation about hating men. It's a conversation about understanding what women experience in coffee and challenging an industry that too often allows unacceptable behaviour to continue without accountability. The question that runs through this series is simple: What can we do? We encourage everyone in the coffee industry, particularly men, to listen to all five episodes and share this conversation with their colleagues. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab: Coffee Lab: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ Isabela Raposeiras: https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 15, 2026Episode 112433 min

What Is Unacceptable Behaviour Towards Women in Coffee? (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1124 Part 4 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by CoffeeListings.com , by Map It Forward - the marketplace where the coffee world does business. Find or list coffee, equipment, services, jobs, businesses, wanted ads, and other opportunities across the global coffee industry. www.coffeelistings.com Episode Description **CONTENT WARNING:** This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, workplace violence, psychological abuse, gender discrimination, intimidation, and harassment. Some of the experiences and situations referenced may be distressing for listeners. Please use your discretion when listening. This is part 4 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is returning guest Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab in Brazil. The theme of this series is "Being 'Not a Man' in Coffee," and in this episode, Lee and Isabela address a question they've repeatedly encountered when discussing women's experiences in the coffee industry: What exactly constitutes unacceptable behaviour? Not all unacceptable behaviour involves physical violence or sexual harassment. Sometimes it involves interrupting women during professional conversations, dismissing their expertise, making condescending remarks, humiliating them publicly, or refusing to respect their boundaries. Isabela shares experiences of being undermined professionally, including an encounter with a coffee producer who repeatedly interrupted her during a business discussion and a confrontation at a roasting event where her technical knowledge and experience were dismissed. Despite decades of experience working with roasting equipment, Isabela describes being told she didn't know what she was talking about by a man who had considerably less experience with the particular machine being discussed. Lee and Isabela examine why these interactions are unacceptable, how gender bias can influence professional discussions, and why men who witness this behaviour have an important role in challenging it. Lee makes a direct appeal to men in the coffee industry: When you see someone being verbally attacked, dismissed, or humiliated, don't wait until afterward to offer private sympathy. Speak up while it's happening. The conversation also explores the importance of establishing boundaries and why women should not be expected to accommodate unwanted attention, aggressive communication, or demands on their time. Lee shares a recent experience involving a man who became verbally aggressive after she declined to arrange a telephone conversation on his terms. She uses the incident to explain why respecting someone's boundaries is not optional and why refusing a request should not invite hostility or personal attacks. Isabela discusses how she has learned to respond to professional criticism, personal attacks, and damaging rumours by addressing people directly, sometimes using humour, empathy, and conversation to challenge their behaviour without escalating the conflict. She also recounts being introduced publicly as a controversial or loud woman and challenging the assumptions behind those descriptions. Throughout this episode, Lee and Isabela emphasise that disagreement is not the problem. People can challenge ideas, hold different opinions, and engage in difficult professional conversations without resorting to intimidation, humiliation, or discrimination. The question is whether the coffee industry is prepared to recognise these behaviours, challenge them when they happen, and create professional environments where women receive the same respect and consideration as their male colleagues. In Part 5, we'll bring the series to its conclusion by answering the question so many people ask when these issues are raised: What can we do? Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab: Coffee Lab: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ Isabela Raposeiras: https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 14, 2026Episode 112324 min

The Boys' Club in Coffee: Why Men Stay Silent (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1123 Part 3 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor Want to join our Map It Forward Monthly Community Discussion Group ? Head to https://patreon.com/mapitforward to join the community by signing up for the "Roasted Coffee" tier for 20 USD per month. Find other like-minded people in the coffee industry. This community is open to all stakeholders in the coffee industry Episode Description **CONTENT WARNING:** This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, rape threats, death threats, harassment, misogyny, intimidation, and workplace discrimination. Some personal experiences shared may be distressing for listeners. Please use your discretion when listening. This is part 3 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is returning guest Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab in Brazil. The theme of this series is "Being 'Not a Man' in Coffee," and in this episode, we're examining the boys' club in the coffee industry: the informal networks of loyalty and influence that can protect men from scrutiny while leaving women unsupported when they experience intimidation, harassment, or professional exclusion. Isabela discusses what she describes as a culture of patriarchy in Brazil's coffee industry, including her experiences of damaging rumours, attacks on her professional reputation, and what she believes were attempts by competitors to undermine her business. Lee shares a deeply personal account of launching Elixir Specialty Coffee and receiving rape threats, death threats, and sustained online abuse. She discusses the emotional and professional consequences of public criticism and the failure of industry colleagues to challenge threatening and degrading comments made about her. The conversation includes Lee's experience involving a video published by coffee content creator James Hoffmann, the abusive comments she says followed, and her attempts to address the situation. Lee also recounts that Hoffmann subsequently removed the video after she contacted him again. Together, Lee and Isabela explore how professional influence can amplify harmful behaviour, why people who privately acknowledge harassment may still refuse to intervene publicly, and how silence can leave women feeling isolated and unprotected. Isabela also describes receiving threats after choosing to pay higher prices to coffee producers in Brazil, while Lee recounts an incident in which a male colleague aggressively confronted her during café service as other employees watched without intervening. The episode concludes with a recent incident at Coffee Lab, where Isabela says an employee witnessed a male customer taking inappropriate photographs of a woman. She explains how her team intervened, and how subsequent online reactions illustrated the attitudes they're challenging throughout this series. This conversation is not about blaming all men. It's about examining the responsibility that comes with influence, leadership, and being a witness to unacceptable behaviour. Because the boys' club doesn't only exist through the actions of those who behave badly. It can also be reinforced by those who see what's happening and choose to remain silent. In Part 4, Lee and Isabela will explore what constitutes unacceptable behaviour in the coffee industry and why conduct that has historically been dismissed or minimised needs to be challenged. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab: Coffee Lab: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ Isabela Raposeiras: https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 13, 2026Episode 112232 min

Why Women Feel Unsafe Working in Coffee (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1122 Part 2 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Cropster , technology built by coffee people to help coffee businesses manage more of their workflow, from contracts and costs to inventory, roasting, quality control, fulfillment, and café intelligence. Learn more at: https://hubs.la/Q04w4bKG0 Episode Description **CONTENT WARNING:** This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, sexual harassment, physical violence, workplace intimidation, psychological abuse, discrimination, and transphobia. Some of the personal experiences shared may be distressing for listeners. Please use your discretion when listening. This is part 2 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is returning guest Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab in Brazil. The theme of this series is "Being 'Not a Man' in Coffee," and in this episode, we're examining the different ways women experience unsafe environments in the coffee industry, sometimes without immediately recognising that what they're experiencing is unacceptable. Not all unsafe situations begin with physical violence. Sometimes they begin with an inappropriate comment, a sexist joke, the undermining of professional expertise, or a workplace culture where women know there will be consequences if they speak up. Lee recounts her experience working in a Hollywood café, where she was physically assaulted by a male colleague, received no support from her employer, and felt unable to leave because her income and visa depended on the job. She explains the psychological impact of returning to a workplace where the people responsible knew how vulnerable her circumstances made her. Isabela discusses how women are frequently underestimated professionally, including in technical areas such as coffee roasting, and how a culture of silence protects inappropriate behaviour. She also shares a recent experience involving a transgender employee at Coffee Lab who was repeatedly misgendered and mistreated by a customer, despite attempting to handle the situation professionally. Together, Lee and Isabela explore why women may freeze or remain silent when their boundaries are violated, how seemingly small acts of disrespect can contribute to unsafe environments, and why bystanders and employers have a responsibility to intervene. The conversation also examines how women can reinforce gender bias themselves, the higher standards women often feel compelled to meet, and the professional consequences of being successful in workplaces where male egos influence decisions. Creating a safe workplace involves much more than preventing physical violence. It requires recognising the behaviours that undermine safety, understanding how power influences people's ability to respond, and refusing to normalise conduct that makes others feel threatened, humiliated, or professionally vulnerable. In Part 3, we'll examine the boys' club in coffee and how informal networks of power and loyalty influence who gets supported, protected, and taken seriously. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab: Coffee Lab: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ Isabela Raposeiras: https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 12, 2026Episode 112129 min

What Is It Really Like to Be a Woman in Coffee? (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1121 Part 1 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee , Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/ WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523 Episode Description **CONTENT WARNING:** This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, sexual harassment, physical violence, intimidation, misogyny, and abuse of power. Some of the personal experiences shared may be distressing for listeners. Please use your discretion when listening. This is part 1 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is returning guest Isabela Raposeiras, founder of Coffee Lab in Brazil. The theme of this series is "Being 'Not a Man' in Coffee," and we're opening a conversation about what women experience in the coffee industry, the behaviours that have been normalised, and why so many women feel unable to speak openly about what's happened to them. In this first episode, Lee and Isabela share deeply personal and confronting accounts of sexual assault, harassment, intimidation, and abuse of power within the coffee industry. Lee recounts two experiences shared with her by women in the industry, including a young employee who was allegedly assaulted by her employer during a business trip and another woman who described repeated sexual assaults by her boss while feeling financially trapped in her employment. Isabela shares her own experience of being sexually assaulted by a senior executive at a coffee company in Brazil, and the devastating discovery that, according to information subsequently shared with her, other senior men at the company had discussed and anticipated the encounter. Together, they explore the culture that allows these experiences to go unchallenged, the fear of professional retaliation, the silence of bystanders, and the difficulty women face in being recognised as professionals rather than being judged or objectified because of their gender. This is not a conversation about hating men. It's a conversation about understanding what women experience in coffee and challenging an industry that too often allows unacceptable behaviour to continue without accountability. The question that runs through this series is simple: What can we do? We encourage everyone in the coffee industry, particularly men, to listen to all five episodes and share this conversation with their colleagues. Connect with Isabela Raposeiras and Coffee Lab: Coffee Lab: https://www.instagram.com/coffeelab_br/ Isabela Raposeiras: https://www.instagram.com/isabela.raposeiras/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 9, 2026Episode 112026 min

How Data Can Make Your Coffee Business More Resilient (Oscar Montoya) | EP1120 Part 5 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by CoffeeListings.com , by Map It Forward - the marketplace where the coffee world does business. Find or list coffee, equipment, services, jobs, businesses, wanted ads, and other opportunities across the global coffee industry. www.coffeelistings.com Episode Description This is part 5 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is Oscar Montoya, a data scientist, software developer, coffee producer in Colombia, founder of Cafe Chicao in Canada, and the developer (from Dark Mode) who helped Map It Forward build CoffeeListings.com. In this final episode, Lee and Oscar explore the role that data, technology, and processes can play in building more sustainable and resilient coffee businesses. Oscar introduces the concept of a digital twin — a data-based representation of a real system that can help businesses understand how different parts of an operation interact over time. In coffee, that idea can be applied across a farm, a supply chain, or even the lifecycle of a coffee itself, creating a more complete picture of where coffee comes from, where it goes, and what happens along the way. The conversation explores how traceability brings together people, processes, technology, and data, and why that can help businesses make more informed decisions. Lee and Oscar also use the Benecke situation as an example of how better data, modeling, and risk assessment could potentially help businesses understand exposure before committing to major supply chain decisions. Oscar explains that if something matters to your business, it should be measured. Once a risk is identified, a business can decide whether to accept it, mitigate it, or reject it. They also discuss the role of simulations, the importance of understanding uncertainty, and why no model should ever be treated as absolute truth. The episode then turns to the changing cost of technology and how AI is reducing the time and resources required to build tools, analyze information, and solve business problems. Oscar argues that if technology makes work significantly faster and cheaper, clients should also benefit from that efficiency. Finally, Lee and Oscar discuss how coffee professionals can become more comfortable with data and technology by experimenting, asking better questions, and gradually building data literacy into the way they operate their businesses. Connect with Oscar Montoya here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-montoyah/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 8, 2026Episode 111922 min

Why AI Still Needs Systems Thinking (Oscar Montoya) | EP1119 Part 4 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor Want to tell the global coffee industry about your products and services? Advertise on this Map It Forward podcast. Email support@mapitforward.org and start the conversation today. Episode Description This is part 4 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is Oscar Montoya, a data scientist, software developer, coffee producer in Colombia, founder of Cafe Chicao in Canada, and the developer (from Dark Mode) who helped Map It Forward build CoffeeListings.com. In this episode, Lee and Oscar explore the relationship between data, technology and processes by looking at something they built together: CoffeeListings.com. The conversation begins with a very human problem — what happens when anxiety causes business owners to avoid the very information they need in order to make better decisions. Oscar explains why trust, empathy and human behaviour remain critical parts of solving problems, no matter how sophisticated the technology becomes. Lee and Oscar then explore how dramatically generative AI has changed software development. Oscar estimates that only a short time ago, building something like CoffeeListings could have required a team of 12 to 15 people working for well over a year. AI has changed that equation significantly, but Oscar argues that access to powerful technology does not remove the need for systems thinking, planning, architecture or critical judgment. The conversation explores the difference between structured software development and “vibe coding,” where AI is asked to solve problems individually without necessarily understanding the wider system they belong to. Oscar explains why AI can be incredibly powerful when used as a tool, but dangerous when we outsource our critical thinking to it. Something may work today while becoming extremely difficult to maintain, change or secure later. Using CoffeeListings as a real-world example, Lee and Oscar discuss the enormous amount of thinking required to make technology feel simple to the person using it, and why data, technology, processes and people all need to work together if a solution is going to last. Connect with Oscar Montoya here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-montoyah/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 7, 2026Episode 111827 min

How Data Reveals the Real Problem in Your Coffee Business (Oscar Montoya) | EP1118 Part 3 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by CoffeeListings.com , by Map It Forward - the marketplace where the coffee world does business. Find or list coffee, equipment, services, jobs, businesses, wanted ads, and other opportunities across the global coffee industry. www.coffeelistings.com Episode Description This is part 3 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is Oscar Montoya, a data scientist, software developer, coffee producer in Colombia, founder of Cafe Chicao in Canada, and the developer (from Dark Mode) who helped Map It Forward build CoffeeListings.com. In this episode, Lee and Oscar explore how data can help coffee businesses understand the true depth of a problem rather than simply reacting to what appears on the surface. The conversation begins with a debate around robusta and climate resilience, using conflicting scientific claims to explore how the same subject can produce different conclusions depending on who funded the research, how the data was gathered, what conditions were controlled, and what assumptions were made. Oscar explains why context matters, why correlation does not equal causation, and why people often unconsciously look for evidence that supports what they already believe. Lee and Oscar also discuss the limitations of relying too heavily on simple metrics. A single number such as an average can hide important information about what is actually happening underneath the surface, which is why businesses need a broader measurement framework rather than reducing complex problems to one metric. The conversation then turns to one of the most important realities of problem solving: the problem you begin investigating is often not the real problem. Oscar explains why complex problems need to be broken into smaller pieces, why some parts may be solvable while others may not be, and how tackling those pieces systematically helps businesses build understanding, confidence, and momentum. Using coffee pricing and the C Market as an example, Lee and Oscar explore how deeper analysis can reveal that the structure of a problem is very different from what people initially assumed. Connect with Oscar Montoya here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-montoyah/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 6, 2026Episode 111721 min

Are You Solving the Right Problem In Coffee? (Oscar Montoya) | EP1117 Part 2 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee , Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/ WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523 Episode Description This is part 2 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is Oscar Montoya, a data scientist, software developer, coffee producer in Colombia, founder of Cafe Chicao in Canada, and the developer (from Dark Mode) who helped Map It Forward build CoffeeListings.com. In this episode, Lee and Oscar explore how businesses figure out what data actually matters when trying to solve a problem. Oscar explains that what people initially describe as a problem is often only a symptom. The real work begins by asking better questions, digging beneath the surface, and identifying what is actually causing the pain. Using approaches such as the Five Whys, Oscar explains why the starting point should always be the problem you are trying to solve and what the ideal outcome would look like. From there, businesses can work backwards to determine what data they already have, what data is missing, and what information needs to be collected. Lee applies this thinking to common business challenges, including toxic workplace cultures, stalled growth, financial pressure, and understanding why a business may not be making enough money. The conversation also explores data integrity, unconscious bias, and the danger of cherry-picking information to support a preferred narrative. Oscar explains why good data science often means trying to disprove your own assumptions rather than searching for evidence that confirms them, and why every model of reality is incomplete but can still be useful when its limitations are understood. Connect with Oscar Montoya here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-montoyah/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

October 5, 2026Episode 111624 min

Your Coffee Business Has Data. But Is It Useful? (Oscar Montoya) | EP1116 Part 1 of 5 | Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Cropster , technology built by coffee people to help coffee businesses manage more of their workflow, from contracts and costs to inventory, roasting, quality control, fulfillment, and café intelligence. Learn more at: https://hubs.la/Q04w4bKG0 Episode Description This is part 1 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar. Our guest on the podcast for this series is Oscar Montoya, a data scientist, software developer, coffee producer in Colombia, founder of Cafe Chicao in Canada, and the developer (from Dark Mode) who helped Map It Forward build CoffeeListings.com. In this episode, Lee and Oscar explore the difference between data and information and why that distinction matters for coffee businesses. Oscar explains that data by itself is simply raw material. It only becomes useful when it is cleaned, organized, analysed, and transformed into information that can help someone understand what is happening and decide what to do next. Using examples from his own coffee farms in Colombia, Oscar explains how questions about planting density, shade, production, fertilizer, labour and farm sustainability determine what data is actually worth collecting. The conversation also explores why collecting everything simply because we can may create more complexity rather than better decisions, and introduces the relationship between people, processes, technology and data. Technology should support a real problem rather than become the objective itself. As Oscar explains, technology for the sake of technology is just hype. The starting point should be the people and the problem we are trying to solve. Connect with Oscar Montoya here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-montoyah/ If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. *************************************** About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain. Website: ht tps://mapitforward.coffee Mailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‘The Coffee Report’: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward ‍ ‍ CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/ Contact: support@mapitforward.org

MAP IT FORWARD Middle East

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Listen to episodes

What Can Men Do to Make Coffee Safer for Women? (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1125 Part 5 of 5 | Map It Forward

What Is Unacceptable Behaviour Towards Women in Coffee? (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1124 Part 4 of 5 | Map It Forward

The Boys' Club in Coffee: Why Men Stay Silent (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1123 Part 3 of 5 | Map It Forward

Why Women Feel Unsafe Working in Coffee (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1122 Part 2 of 5 | Map It Forward

What Is It Really Like to Be a Woman in Coffee? (Isabela Raposeiras) | EP1121 Part 1 of 5 | Map It Forward

How Data Can Make Your Coffee Business More Resilient (Oscar Montoya) | EP1120 Part 5 of 5 | Map It Forward

Why AI Still Needs Systems Thinking (Oscar Montoya) | EP1119 Part 4 of 5 | Map It Forward

How Data Reveals the Real Problem in Your Coffee Business (Oscar Montoya) | EP1118 Part 3 of 5 | Map It Forward

Are You Solving the Right Problem In Coffee? (Oscar Montoya) | EP1117 Part 2 of 5 | Map It Forward

Your Coffee Business Has Data. But Is It Useful? (Oscar Montoya) | EP1116 Part 1 of 5 | Map It Forward

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