Olivia Sakai

Olivia Sakai

Olivia Sakai is a senior communications specialist at TechnoServe. Her background is in multimedia storytelling, digital communications, and sustainable development. She holds a master's degree in development practice from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor's degree in anthropology and geography from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. In her free time, Olivia enjoys exploring new places with a camera in hand or taking in the many sights of her hometown, Washington, D.C.

8 Years Later: The Lasting Impact of Coffee

In 2012, Lubaba Mekonnen, a single parent of two, joined a TechnoServe program that was working with coffee farmers in her community. At the time, she had no regular source of income and was struggling to support her family. Today, her income has increased by 200%, her coffee farm is flourishing, and her son is getting ready to attend university next year.

Meet the Woman Entrepreneur Investing in Social Impact

Idalia Medina grew up with the heart of an entrepreneur. As an adult, she merged her love for farming with business and started processing and exporting cheese. But, with no formal business training, Idalia was overwhelmed. Using the skills she gained from TechnoServe’s training, she transformed her enterprise and grew sales by nearly 20%, also allowing her to invest in the long-term success of her employees.