Ciro, riding up on his white horse with a traditional Colombian sombrero shading his eyes, embodies the pursuit of excellence more than anyone else in my mind. He and his son Albiero tend their small farm high in the Andes in Huila, Colombia. The mountains here are rough and rugged, and until we began visiting in 2015-16, much of this area was inaccessible to outsiders due to the constant FARC presence. In practical terms, this meant specialty coffee buyers were non-existent.

Despite selling coffee to commodity buyers or worse, Ciro's community was producing excellent coffee. His neighbors emphasized how much this was due to Ciro constantly preaching the value of producing high-quality coffee because it is the right thing to do—reflecting their capability and value as a people and community.

Ciro embodies the spirit of what has become our core belief: valuing the pursuit of excellence and supporting all people who share this view. His coffee is a testament to the lasting power and value that resides in people who move through the world focused on their responsibility and growing their capacity to lift others up.