Founder and CEO of Elan Organic Coffees, Karen Cebreros is recognized as a pioneer in the global certified organic and sustainability movements. After visiting her first coffee farm in Peru and founding the company in 1989, she began visiting other producing countries to source the highest quality certified organic coffees.

Since then, she's travelled to farms throughout South and Central America, India, Indonesia, and Africa to identify and build relationships with growers, millers and exporters, and cup the local specialty coffees. With twenty-plus years of experience at the cupping table, Karen is recognized as having a superb palate. She has been involved in Cup of Excellence cuppings and served as a judge for five Rainforest Alliance certified coffee evaluation programs.

To give her customers first-hand knowledge of the role that climate, altitude and soil, as well as proper farming, harvesting and processing techniques play in nurturing coffee trees and producing top quality beans, Karen regularly takes roasters and roaster-retailers on tours of farms and processing facilities. A founder and former director of the International Women's Coffee Alliance, Karen was a coordinator of the first "Women in Coffee Tour" in 2004.

Karen's commitment to environmental sustainability and improving the lives of coffee farming families began shortly after her first meeting with growers and has continued throughout her career. An early supporter of Coffee Kids, she served two terms on the nonprofit organization's board of directors. She has also contributed to Grounds for Health and Cup for Education. Elan was among the first participants in the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Coffee program that promotes bird-friendly, shade-grown coffees. She was also a founder of the Specialty Coffee Association of America's Sustainability Committee and is a longtime member of the Organic Coffee Coalition a division of the Organic Trade Association. She has also shared her expertise as a Coffee Quality Institute Coffee Corps volunteer, travelling to farms in 5 countries.

In addition her involvement with programs that benefit growing communities, Karen also participates in business and nonprofit groups in her local community. She's a longtime member of Women in Business San Diego, a group of executives and senior management personnel dedicated to providing opportunities and empowerment to women in the local workforce. In June 2009, she was honored as an outstanding business leader by the San Diego chapter of Rotary International (the third largest club in the US). Karen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University. When she's not cupping coffees or volunteering her time, Karen enjoys spending time with her children, ages 21 and 28 years old.

Karen can be reached by telephone at 619-235-0392 or email at Karenc@iaccoffee.com