“What drives me? The idea that I can make a difference and that it doesn’t have to be complicated.”
Interview with Talitha Czaikowski, Commercial Director Bocca Coffee
Making a difference doesn’t have to be complicated
After a career in the fashion industry, Talitha decided to take a new direction. Together with Menno Simons, she travelled to coffee-producing countries and saw first-hand how sustainable relationships and fair prices could improve the lives of farmers and their children. “That was the final push I needed. You want to leave the world a better place.”
Two years ago, together with Bocca, she founded the Making Waves Foundation to address the growing lack of human connection. “There’s so much loneliness, among both young and old. Coffee can be a first step towards connection: a moment to come together, to start a conversation, to go outside. Coffee is simply something that makes everyone happy, if you do it right.”
La Donna: a new perspective
La Donna is unique: for the first time, a specialty coffee has been developed based on the female flavour profile. “Traditionally, coffee taste has been defined by men. Yet at home, it’s often women who decide which coffee is being drunk. And research shows that women have more taste buds: they literally taste more. So why not make use of that?”
For Talitha, it’s about more than taste alone. “At Bocca, we’ve always looked at coffee differently. We once brought the third wave to the Netherlands. With La Donna, we’re taking another step: putting the female perspective at the centre. For us, it’s more than a blend; it’s a way of looking at things. It sparks conversations and builds a community of people open to new perspectives and change.”
From product to purpose
Talitha sees that the coffee world is evolving. “Fortunately, it’s no longer just about what’s in the cup, but about the story behind it. The danger is that too often these are just marketing stories, not genuine ones. It would be great to see more focus on the real price of products and for companies to be assessed independently on their true value. Doing good for everyone in the chain should be a given.”
Choosing with more awareness
According to Talitha, the future demands greater knowledge and critical thinking. “If people don’t know better, you can’t blame them for buying supermarket coffee for less than €20 a kilo. But once you do know what lies behind that, you naturally start making different choices. It has to become fairer, within the chain, for everyone.”
Inspiration and role models
From female entrepreneurs like Neelie Kroes to her grandmother and mother, Talitha draws inspiration from women who dare to follow their own path. “They’ve shown me that, as a woman, you always have something valuable to offer.”
La Donna in three words
“Approachable. Innovative. Delicious.”
