A Social Entrepreneur’s Tale: Mokhtar Alkhanshali on Coffee and Human Connection Amid Yemen’s War

Mokhtar Alkhanshali likes to say that the shortest distance between two people is a cup of coffee. In grappling with his identity as an American-Yemeni, Mokhtar went back to his homeland and developed a passion for coffee cultivation, eventually turning his newfound knowledge into a company called "Port of Mokha".

In this episode, we learn about the colonial history of Yemen and the civil war that broke in 2015. We also talk about what Arab Spring meant for Yemen, the massive food insecurity caused by the country's ongoing conflict, and through Mokhtar's lens, how coffee and responsible farming practices can be used as a tool to unite and heal a population.

Host: Hazami Barmada, Founder and CEO, Humanity Lab Foundation.

HAZAMI BARMADA is the Founder & CEO of Humanity Lab Foundation and co-Executive Producer & Host

Finding Humanity Podcast. Hazami is a social entrepreneur, thought leader, and public affairs and social impact expert recognized by Forbes as an “inspirational agent of change.” She has consulted for many leading global brands including the United Nations, United Nations Foundation, Aspen Institute, and the Royal Court of the Sultanate of Oman. Among her posts at the United Nations, she served as the Coordinator for the United Nations Secretary General's World Humanitarian Summit, an Advisor to the first-ever United Nations Secretary-General's Youth Envoy, as a member of the United Nations SDG Strategy Hub for the launch of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Hazami has a Masters from Harvard University where she was an Edward S. Mason Fellow in Public Policy and Management. She studied social and public policy at Georgetown University and has a BA in Anthropology and Sociology. Twitter: @hazamibarmada

Finding Humanity is a production of Humanity Lab Foundation and Hueman Group Media. 

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