Built on Data, Driven by Coffee

I spent years building data pipelines, dashboards, and analytics tools for enterprise businesses. The work taught me something important: when you can measure and publish every data point in a system, trust becomes the default rather than the exception.

When I got into specialty coffee, I was struck by how little of that transparency existed. A broker says a lot scored 88 — but whose cupping table? A listing claims “direct trade” — but how many intermediaries actually touched the coffee? The premium you pay is supposed to reach the producer — but where is the evidence?

I started Fourth Wave Trade to source Ethiopian specialty coffee the way I believe it should be done: with data, transparency, and verifiable claims. Every lot we offer has independent cupping scores, lab analysis, GPS coordinates, and a documented chain of custody. Not because regulation requires it (though EUDR is changing that), but because it is the right way to build trust in a supply chain.

Our first focus is Ethiopia — the birthplace of Arabica coffee. East Guji in particular produces some of the most complex and expressive naturals in the world. We work with cooperative partners there to source exceptional lots and deliver them to specialty roasters in the US with full transparency at every step.

Fourth Wave Trade operates on the Collective Genesis platform, which I also built to power the traceability and compliance infrastructure that this kind of sourcing requires. Both companies share founders but operate independently — FWT is the first customer on CG, not a subsidiary. This structure is disclosed transparently because that is the standard we hold ourselves to.

If you are a specialty roaster who cares about where your coffee comes from and wants to verify every claim made about it — I would love to talk.