Welcoming New Board Members
IWCA’s mission is rooted in empowerment, connection, and advocacy for women across the coffee value chain. As we continue expanding our impact and deepening global partnerships, we are honored to welcome four distinguished leaders to our Board of Directors.
Each of these women brings decades of experience, invaluable industry insights, and a shared commitment to gender equity. Their leadership will help shape the next phase of IWCA’s growth, ensuring that our 5-Year Strategic Plan translates into actionable change for women in coffee worldwide.
Meet Our New Board Members
Laura Brown
Bringing a wealth of expertise in nonprofit leadership, healthcare, and international development, Laura is the Chief Operating Officer at Andean Health & Development, a Madison, WI-based NGO dedicated to sustainable healthcare solutions for rural Latin America. With a background in economics and Latin American studies, she has studied and worked in Spain and Costa Rica, where she developed a deep connection to the people, language, and culture. Laura’s experience in organizational management, fundraising, and capacity-building makes her an incredible asset to IWCA as we continue to grow and strengthen our global initiatives.
Anke Erichsen
With over two decades in the global coffee industry, Anke’s expertise spans marketing, branding, sustainability, and supply chain communication. From her tenure at Mahlkönig and HEMRO Group to her leadership at Orang Utan Coffee, Anke has worked at the intersection of product innovation, specialty coffee, and sustainable sourcing. Her deep understanding of the industry—from roasters to origin producers—makes her a powerful advocate for IWCA’s mission to bridge gaps and build lasting partnerships.
Mbula Musau
A pioneer in coffee education and quality control in Africa, Mbula is the Founder and Director of Utake Coffee Limited, home to Africa’s first triple-certified SCA Premier Teaching Campus. As a Q Instructor for both Arabica and Robusta, she has championed gender equity, youth empowerment, and sustainability—mentoring women and leading the formation of multiple IWCA Chapters in Africa. Her deep ties to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity (CCRE) bring invaluable perspectives to IWCA’s global work.
Noelia Villalobos
As the Executive Director of the Specialty Coffee Association of Costa Rica (SCACR) and Sintercafé, Noelia has spent over 15 years shaping the specialty coffee landscape. Leading one of the most influential international coffee events, she bridges producers and buyers, creating opportunities for economic growth and knowledge exchange. Her expertise in global coffee promotion, education, and industry collaboration will be instrumental in expanding IWCA’s network and strengthening our impact across Latin America and beyond.
Looking Ahead: A Stronger Future for IWCA
The addition of Laura, Anke, Mbula, and Noelia to our Board is more than just an expansion—it’s a testament to IWCA’s vision for a globally connected, resource-sharing, and action-driven network. Their combined expertise aligns seamlessly with our 5-year Strategic Plan, particularly in:
Expanding educational opportunities for women at all levels of the coffee industry.
Strengthening market access and business training for women-owned coffee enterprises.
Driving global collaboration through industry partnerships and leadership initiatives.
We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional leaders and look forward to the fresh perspectives they bring to advance women’s roles in coffee worldwide. Stay tuned for more updates on how their expertise will help shape IWCA’s next chapter!
Join us in celebrating their leadership and the exciting journey ahead!
Laura Brown
Laura Brown is Chief Operating Officer at Andean Health & Development, a Madison, WI-based NGO in Ecuador that has created a sustainable health care and training model for rural Latin America.
Laura became interested in international development while at Boston University (BA, Economics), researching U.S.-Mexico border relations. This interest inspired her to pursue a Master’s in Latin American Studies at San Diego State University (SDSU) and a career in international development. Laura also holds her MBA from SDSU and a certificate in nonprofit management from Harvard University. She has studied and worked in Spain and Costa Rica where she picked up the language and the passion of those countries.
Currently serving as the organization’s COO in the United States, Laura has been at Andean Health & Development since 2009. She also serves on the board of Saludesa Foundation, Ecuador.
Meet Anke Erichsen
My path in coffee started in 2003 as Marketing Director of Mahlkönig and later the HEMRO-Group, followed by eight years as Managing Director of Orang Utan Coffee. Over these years working in the global Coffee Industry and as member of the SCAE / SCA Events Committee for several years, I got in touch with many interesting people and accompanied the tremendous growth of the Specialty Coffee Industry.
As Marketing expert, I know about the importance of branding and product innovation, sponsoring and sales support. As well, I learned about the challenges of growing organic, sustainable coffee same as importing specialty coffee and optimizing the communication flow between origin and roasters.
Our small family office in Hamburg holds shares in coffee related companies mainly in Germany, Switzerland and India. I am looking forward to supporting the development of the IWCA and feel honoured to be a part of it.
Meet Mbula Musau
Mbula Musau is the Founder and Director of Utake Coffee Limited, the first triple-certified SCA Premier Teaching Campus in Africa as well as Q instructor for both Arabica and Robusta. Utake Coffee Limited is also a coffee exporting company as well as roastery of specialty coffees, feted 3 years in a row for “Most Preferred Coffee Beans in Kenya” and the Sustainability Award for their notable efforts in doing business while conserving the environment. Mbula is also an Emeritus Board director of the global Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), and currently on the board of the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity, (CCRE).
She is passionate about gender equity and youth empowerment and spearheaded the formation of the International Women in Coffee Alliance (IWCA) chapters in Africa, where she has served as the Chapter Facilitator and mentor, enabling equitable engagement of women in the sector. She is also a Founder and Board member of the Association of Women in Coffee Industry in Kenya.
Her company Utake Coffee Limited, recently launched the first single-serve specialty Kenyan coffee packaged in eco-friendly and biodegradable bags to offer coffee consumers a high quality product conveniently, while conserving the environment and highly benefiting local coffee farmers- another first in Africa!
Meet Noelia Villalobos
Noelia Villalobos is the Executive Director of the Specialty Coffee Association of Costa Rica and SINTERCAFE (International Coffee Week) since 2009. Both associations work to promote the production and consumption of specialty coffee in and out of Costa Rica. Sintercafe is an annual event recognized worldwide which incorporates both sides of the coffee value chain. Each November Costa Rica becomes the meeting place for over 500 key decision makers from the most important coffee companies in the world. SCACR, promotes specialty coffees thru education and several projects, like Cup of Excellence. SCACR is the in country partner for CQI and the WCE. Noelia have been on the board of ACE, Alliance for Coffee Excellence and COE since 2018. Noelia graduated in Business and has a Masters in Promotional Marketing from the Complutense University of Madrid.
Noelia Villalobos es la Directora Ejecutiva de la Asociación de Cafés Finos de Costa Rica y de Sintercafé (siglas de Semana Internacional del Café) desde el año 2009. Ambas asociaciones trabajan en la promoción de la producción y consumo de cafés especiales de Costa Rica, dentro y fuera del país. Sintercafé es un evento anual con gran reconocimiento internacional, donde se incorporan ambos lados de la cadena de valor del café, con una participación de más de 500 personas influyentes en el sector. SCACR promociona los cafés de especialidad a través de educación y de varios proyectos, como por ejemplo Taza de la Excelencia. SCACR es el representante del CQI y de WCE en Costa Rica. Noelia es Licenciada en Administración de Negocios y además tiene un Master en Marketing Promocional de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid.