Ambitious Students - Hana Alemu and her inspiring passion for coffee

We are organizing an Ethiopian coffee ceremony with you at Student Experience Madrid Pozuelo, and we would love to learn a little more about you and how you discovered the fascinating world of coffee. 

"My name is Hana and I'm from Ethiopia. I started my coffee business two years ago and started this project with the help of my mother. The coffee ceremony is very special in Ethiopia; it's a way for people to connect. In Ethiopia, it's typical to be a bit quieter during meals, but there's plenty of sharing during ceremonies. The coffee ceremony is the moment when neighbors are invited, and social life is fostered. I grew up witnessing this and thought: Why not sell Ethiopian coffee, which is very good? Additionally, since Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, why not bring it to Spain, and share it with the people I know? 

My family in Ethiopia are missionaries. When I arrived in Spain, I wanted to support my biological mother in some way, so instead of just sending money home, I suggested to my mother that we invest in coffee. She sends it to me from Ethiopia, and I forward her the profits. Over time, people started asking for more and more coffee, so we decided to open our business, which now has two parts: the coffee sales and the coffee experience for our customers." 

What is the origin of your business name? 

"Our business is called Taytu, who is an empress, the wife of the emperor. She is a fighter, very persistent, and represents empowerment for women in Ethiopia." 

And being in Spain -a completely new country and with a new business - what challenges have you faced and what lessons have you learned along the way? 

"I think the biggest challenge is reaching buyers; meeting people, making connections, getting them to know the coffee and recognizing that it's good coffee, so they come back to buy it. Additionally, starting a business here is also very difficult due to administrative and paperwork issues. 

However, this experience has taught me a lot, but mostly that to achieve anything in life, I need to believe in myself, in my vision. I must be disciplined, persistent, and keep moving forward. I’ve also learnt the importance of choosing good people to work with and surround myself with people who I can learn from and challenge me.” 

What would you say to other students who want to pursue their passion, and what advice would you give them for balancing academic life and entrepreneurship? 

"Don't be afraid to start and always keep trying. If you have an idea you want to pursue or a business idea you want to start, you must take the first steps gradually, be realistic with the idea you have, and move forward step by step. 

This is one of the areas where I need to work more and where I need to manage better, but I give it priority. So, it's about prioritizing. I constantly ask myself: ‘what is my priority right now: my studies or my business?’ This helps me focus on what really matters. During rest days, like Saturdays or Sundays, I usually focus on my business. 

I want to go further and be able to work in Ethiopia as well. I dream of having my own farm and working with local farmers there. I want to have a big company so more people can appreciate Ethiopian coffee, which is very good. It's not just because it's my country, but because the coffee is of excellent quality, even though it hasn't received the recognition it deserves. Most people usually associate coffee with countries like Colombia, without knowing that its true origin is Ethiopia." 

Tell us about a cherished experience and give us a hint of what awaits us at the Coffee Ceremony in Madrid Pozuelo. 

"The first time I organized the coffee ceremony was when I was invited by Ethiopian Airlines to the reopening after COVID, with a direct flight to Madrid. It was an amazing experience, because it's something I really enjoy sharing with people. There were people of Ethiopian origin from many countries, and it was very beautiful. Additionally, I had the opportunity to hold another ceremony at a charity market, where many Spanish people approached and showed great interest, asking questions about how to prepare coffee in the best way.  

In Ethiopia, we have our own small coffee cups. People often ask me about how we make coffee in Ethiopia, because it's tradition to drink three small cups of coffee. There's a saying that if you don't drink them all, it'll bring bad luck. I really like people's curiosity and being able to explain everything about the ceremony." 

Curious about Hana's delicious Ethiopian coffee? Follow her on Instagram and sign up for the coffee ceremony at Student Experience Madrid Pozuelo on Thursday, April 4 at 5:30 PM.