Behind the Beans: Gabriella Fernanda Oliveira
About “Behind the Beans”
In “Behind the Beans,” we look at the places where relationships in coffee are really built: with the people who make quality possible long before a lot reaches you. In this edition, we’re speaking with Gabriella, who recently joined cumpa as Coffee Sales Manager. Originally from Brazil, coffee has always been part of her life, but her path into specialty started in logistics, where she first saw how much care sits behind every shipment and every decision. With years of experience across Europe in green coffee trading, business development, and supply chain work, and as a certified Q-Grader, she connects operational detail with sensory focus. Her aim is clear: to build stronger connections between origin and market, so coffee is valued not only for what’s in the cup, but for the work, history, and people that shape it.
Interview with Gabriella Fernanda Oliveira
What is your relationship with cumpa?
I recently joined cumpa as Coffee Sales Manager, where I focus on building client relationships and expanding the company’s presence in the specialty coffee market.
How did you get into the coffee industry?
Coming from Brazil, coffee has always been part of my life and my culture. I first discovered the world of specialty coffee while working as a logistics manager for a coffee producer, where I had my first real experience with specialty coffee. Over time, this connection grew into a passion and naturally became my professional path, leading me to work in the specialty coffee industry across Europe and to open my own roastery in Brazil.
What do you like about the specialty coffee industry?
I love how dynamic and diverse it is. There is always something new to learn, and at the same time it creates real and meaningful connections between people across the entire value chain.
What do you want to achieve with coffee?
I want to help create stronger connections between origin and market, so coffee is appreciated not only for its quality but also for the stories and people behind it.
What does (specialty) coffee mean to you?
For me, it means understanding the full journey of coffee and appreciating its complexity, from the hands of the people who grow it to the final cup.
What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you with coffee?
Seeing how coffee brings people together. It still surprises me how easily strangers can become friends just by talking about coffee, and how those conversations can last for hours.
Which coffee prejudice would you like to dispel?
I would like to challenge the idea that the value of coffee is only in the cup. There is so much work, history and care behind it, especially from small producers, and that deserves more recognition.
Which coffee highlight are you currently looking forward to the most?
Right now I’m excited to explore different coffee species and origins at Cumpa, not only from Brazil, and to keep deepening my understanding of the coffee world.
