Sign In

Mokhtar Alkhanshali

Social Entrepreneur | Specialty Coffee

Mokhtar Alkhanshali is the founder and CEO of Port of Mokha, a specialty coffee company focused on reviving Yemen's coffee industry.13 Born to Yemeni parents, Alkhanshali grew up between Brooklyn, San Francisco, and Yemen.5 His journey into the coffee industry began unexpectedly when he discovered the historical connection between Yemen and coffee.4

In 2013, Alkhanshali shifted his focus to his family's roots as coffee farmers in Yemen.2 He spent three years touring Yemen's coffee farms, building relationships with farmers, and studying coffee cultivation practices.3 Through Port of Mokha, he works to improve the quality of Yemeni coffee and the lives of coffee farmers by implementing modern agricultural methods, offering microloans, and paying premium prices for high-quality beans.3

Alkhanshali's efforts have garnered recognition:

  1. He received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition in 2015 for his work empowering Yemeni farmers and advocating for American citizens in Yemen.5
  2. Port of Mokha coffee has received high ratings, including a 97 from Coffee Review in 2017.3
  3. His story is the subject of Dave Eggers' book "The Monk of Mokha".24

As a licensed Q-Grader (Certified Specialty Coffee Sensory Analyst), Alkhanshali combines his expertise in coffee with a mission to connect coffee lovers worldwide with Yemeni farmers and elevate Yemen's place in the specialty coffee industry.56

Highlights

May 16 · linkedin

Natural, washed, honey, pulped natural, wet hulled, carbonic maceration, supernatural, orange peel process, natural yeast, barrique fermentation, polyjuice process—it seems like every week there’s a new coffee processing technique I see on the shelf at my favorite local roasteries. Some of them I love, others I really dislike. Suffice it to say, as someone who has spent significant time on the farm, as well as in the roastery, I have some thoughts…

Oct 3 · linkedin

This was the first time I did a podcast where I didn’t feel like I was on one. Thank you Abdul-Rehman Malik for being the beautiful person that you are. A special thanks to everyone at This Human Podcast and the Aga Khan Museum who made this possible.

Listen here:

https://lnkd.in/gQ2bx-WW

Related Questions

What inspired Mokhtar Alkhanshali to transition from non-profit work to the coffee industry?
How did Mokhtar Alkhanshali's Yemeni heritage influence his approach to coffee?
What challenges did Mokhtar Alkhanshali face when establishing Port of Mokha?
How has Mokhtar Alkhanshali's work impacted the global coffee industry?
What is the significance of the book "The Merchant Houses of Mocha" in Mokhtar Alkhanshali's journey?
Mokhtar Alkhanshali
Mokhtar Alkhanshali, photo 1
Mokhtar Alkhanshali, photo 2
Add to my network

Location

San Francisco Bay Area