Webinar: Virtual Think + Drink, 2024 by World Coffee Research

About This Webinar

You make the drinks, we'll provide the thinks!

Join us for our annual gathering and report-out to the coffee community about WCR's progress over the prior year and a preview of what's ahead.

This year, we are joined by Dr. Vern Long, WCR CEO, Dr. Tania Humphrey, Director of Research & Development, Alexa Heinicke, Sr. Corporate Membership Manager, and Chair of the Board, James McLaughlin from Intelligentsia Coffee.

Vern Long

CEO, World Coffee Research

Vern Long is the Chief Executive Officer of World Coffee Research, the world’s first global, industry-driven collaborative agricultural R&D organization for coffee. A plant breeder by training, Long brings 25 years of experience in international agricultural research with a focus on smallholders, and deep expertise on genetic resources policy. Prior to joining WCR, Long served as the director of the Office of Agricultural Research and Policy at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Long has substantial experience convening diverse stakeholders — from industry, government and research institutions—to formulate a shared research agenda to address pressing challenges in agriculture. She received her PhD in plant breeding from Cornell University.

Alexa Heinicke

Corporate Partnership Manager

Alexa focuses on stewarding relationships with our 200+ member companies and engaging them in our work to demonstrate clear investment value. She is excited to recruit more companies for this collective investment that will benefit millions of smallholder farmers and is vital to the future of every business in our industry. Alexa has a range of experience in nonprofit fundraising and corporate investor relations, in both the U.S. and Europe. She has a degree from Babson College and is based in Munich, Germany.

Tania Humphrey

Director of Research & Development, World Coffee Research

Tania Humphrey is the Director of Research & Development (R&D) of World Coffee Research and oversees WCR’s research portfolio. She is passionate about innovation in agriculture and combines a business approach with a strong understanding of science to achieve real-world impact. Tania holds a Ph.D. in Plant Science from the University of Queensland, Australia, and, in her early career, she held research positions at both the University of Toronto and Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada. Prior to WCR, Tania served as the Vice President of R&D at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Canada where she led a team of scientists, engineers, and technical staff in plant variety development, biocontrol, and automation technologies for a wide variety of crops, including tree crops like apples and peaches, and others such as greenhouse vegetables, sweet potatoes, and roses.

Maeve Holler

Communications Manager, World Coffee Research

Maeve manages external and internal communications processes for World Coffee Research. She focuses on the ideation, creation, and implementation of data-driven strategies across digital channels like social media, virtual events, newsletters and emails, publications and resources, and press/media to meet the needs of WCR's multi-stakeholder audience across 30+ markets globally. She is passionate about increasing accessibility to topics like agricultural innovation, research and development, climate resilience, agricultural sustainability, and corporate responsibility.

Maeve has nearly 10 years of experience in the communications field as a writer, editor, content manager, designer, educator, and marketer. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami and a BA from Tulane University.

James T. McLaughlin Jr.

CEO of Intelligentsia Coffee

James McLaughlin is the Chair of WCR's Board of Directors and CEO of Intelligentsia Coffee, a company that pioneered the ideals of exceptional quality, transparency, and innovation in the coffee industry. Before becoming CEO in 2014, McLaughlin served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of Green Coffee, Quality Control and Roasting.