Coffee Time

"There is no perfect moment to take a risk." - Silvana González

Winter rain drizzles down the window of my local coffee shop here in North Carolina where I have come to write, and in the absence of sun, I bask in the warmth of a cup of coffee. On the ceiling above me hang empty burlap coffee sacks as decoration. “La Florida Coffee of Peru,” reads one, and “Royal Select Water Processed Decaf - Brazil,” reads another.

Back home on the wall of my office hangs a “Women Who Rock Our World” 2025 calendar. The month of February features Silvana González, the CEO of Cafe La Divisa in Colombia. A love of animals—horses and dogs in particular—led her to a career in veterinary medicine and reproductive biotechnology; however, after a robbery at her company, Silvana decided to change course to seek a career that would allow her financial independence.