Ethical, Inclusive Entrepreneurship

For millions of people around the world, the day doesn’t start without a cup (or two…or three) of coffee. Margaret Nyamumbo ’11, owner of the coffee company Kahawa 1893, is determined to give credit to and, at the same time, lift up the thousands of women who work on coffee farms in Africa and make that daily jolt of java possible—and oh so satisfying.

Having grown up on her grandfather’s coffee farm in Kenya, Nyamumbo is no stranger to the coffee industry. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Smith and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, Nyamumbo cut short a career in investment banking to pursue the idea of founding her own coffee company, one focused on empowering the women farmers who sustain Africa’s coffee industry. Her focus on ethical, inclusive entrepreneurship has earned her numerous accolades, including the 2025 Smith College Medal, which will be awarded at Rally Day on Thursday, Feb. 20.

For Nyamumbo, Kahawa (Swahili for “coffee”) 1893 is an opportunity for her to give back—not only to her home village and country, but to those who came together years ago to fundraise for her plane ticket to the United States, where she would begin her higher education journey.

Ahead of this year’s Rally Day celebration, Nyamumbo reflects on experiencing Rally Day as an attendee—and soon, an honoree—as well as the lessons she carries with her and the importance of community within it all.

What would you say is your proudest accomplishment?
Being able to build a mission-oriented business that is able to benefit my community, the community that made it possible for me to attend Smith.

What Smith lesson continues to affect your life today?
Smith taught me the power of relationships and leveraging community. Some of my closest friendships to this day are those I made at Smith, and having the opportunity to support and be supported by this community through those enduring relationships is just invaluable.

What advice do you have for Smithies who are graduating this year?
This year… Oh my god, it’s already almost graduation season! Essentially, I would tell them to think big, but to also think of this time as only the beginning of your career. Your career is such a long journey and it will take lots of twists and turns. My advice is to really think about where you want to go and remember that if you don’t get your dream job immediately, your future plans won’t be broken. Try to put things in perspective and reflect on where you want to go, what incremental steps you can take to get there, and what environments you can put yourself in to be able to develop the skill sets you need to take you where you want to be.

Do you have any special memories of Rally Day at Smith?
I remember it being really fun and a good pause before the craziness of graduation. I was in King House, and we wore the cardboard Burger King crowns for our hats along with our regalia. I loved hearing from the people who were honored; they had accomplished so much and I was in awe of their journeys, listening to their stories and amazing achievements in their fields. It was a very, very inspiring day, one of those times where you could take a step back while also looking forward, hearing from these individuals whose lives and work gave you an idea of what you could do with your own education.

What does being honored with the Smith Medal mean to you?
It’s surreal. I didn’t expect it, especially not so soon into my career, but it’s incredible, and a huge honor. I’m very, very grateful to be able to receive the medal and to be a source of inspiration to others who are hoping to follow their own path and make an impact on a broader scale.

What issues would you like to see Smithies tackling today?
I think gender inequality is still a big problem, and one that I hope people—including Smithies—continue tackling, but I also think that gender inequality in itself is impacted by even bigger issues like poverty, food insecurity, and climate change. Those three issues tend to disproportionately affect women, so to me, they’re all different layers of the same whole. Those are the big three, but I’m also a big fan of increasing access to education—that would be a great way to get people out of those situations and maybe give them the resources they need to solve some of those problems themselves as well.

Why is it critical to support Smith philanthropically?
As a beneficiary of Smith’s scholarships, I gained access to an education that I never would have been able to have otherwise. It’s invaluable in making education more accessible, but it’s also important in terms of Smith being able to invest in professors that are of the highest caliber, in state-of-the-art technologies, and in cutting-edge infrastructure. It’s a wonderful way to give back and to provide gifts that keep on giving for generations.