Projects:
Real People. Real Struggles. Real Stories. For over 30 years, Enactus NCC has carried out a variety of projects from coloring books and boardgames to small business consultation and advertising campaigns - all with the mission of providing a hand up rather than a hand out. In recent years, we have partnered with a number of cooperatives, family businesses, community based organizations, and educational institutions. Below are some of our current projects and partners.
Our coffee is produced through a partnership with Café Juan Ana, an association of indigenous coffee farmers based in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala. By eliminating several layers of intermediaries, the association is able to pay its members a sustainable rate often twice the price offered on the conventional coffee market. Formed in 2005, our relationship with Café Juan Ana is our oldest existing partnership. Conversations and collaboration with Juan Ana farmers led to our direct trade approach. With a focus on mutually-beneficial relationships and a supply chain that eliminates non-value-added intermediaries, this approach has informed all of our subsequent partnerships.
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Through our collaboration with Rafael Landivar Univeristy, we established a partnership with Mirna Rojas, a fifth generation indigenous chocolatier. Mirna is the owner and operator of Chocolate Doña Pancha. Named for Mirna's grandmother, Chocolate Doña Pancha, represents a family legacy of more than 150 years in hand-crafted chocolates. Part chocolate shop, part art gallery, part museum, Chocolate Doña Pancha realizes Mirna's innovative vision along with traditional values instilled by her grandmother. Through Enactus NCC, Doña Pancha's craft chocolates are sold under the Xela Chocolate brand.
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Currently, we are working on the launch of a brand new product. This collaboration brings together students from our campus design agency as well as market research, nutrition, anthropology, and accounting classes.
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The Coffee Lab at North Central College was launched in May of 2019, with the support of North Central College and a generous gift from Probat, the global leader in coffee roasting equipment. The purpose of the Lab is to provide rich, practical learning experiences across the breadth of the coffee continuum (from seedling to cup). With the opening of the Lab, our 20+ year direct trade partnership with Café Juan Ana expanded to involve students in all phases of coffee production. Not only is the Lab the final link in the coffee supply chain, it is also a place for engaging campus community events.
Visit the Coffee Lab website for more information:
https://northcentralcoffeelab.com.
C.A.N.
Idea Cooperative
We are proud to partner with ten indigenous artisan groups based in three highland Guatemala communities. Ranging from small family businesses to cooperatives counting dozens of members, these creative and talented artists work in wood, ceramics, and textiles. Despite their diversity, our artisan partners are united in their efforts to create better livelihoods through adaptation of ancestral arts to contemporary local and global markets. While visiting Guatemala, Enactus students learn about the different artisanal forms as well as the cultural significance of our partners' creations. This knowledge is then shared with our team members and customers.
Learn More.
Community Access Naperville (C.A.N.) is an organization that helps differently-abled adults gain skills that are transferable to the workplace. Once a month, our team invites C.A.N. to NCC to help us package our single-serving coffee pods. This partnership provides C.A.N. members with the opportunity to gain those hard and soft skills before applying to jobs. One recent participant beamed with pride when he shared with us that he was hired at the local grocery store!​
Cooperativa Idea is an indigenous-run credit union recently founded in Quiacquix, Guatemala. Home to about 3000 people (and to Enactus NCC partner Ajpu Association), Quiacquix is one of 48 rural communities that surround San Miguel Totonicapán. While Quiacquix is rich in culture and community, income earning opportunities are scarce. Cooperativa Idea offers financial products and services intended to support sustainable community development. Currently, Enactus NCC is translating materials, researching regulations, producing a commercial, and developing an investor prospectus. By recruiting green and socially-conscious investors, we aim to collaborate meaningfully as Idea Cooperative works towards its goal of one million quetzales in deposits.
Parkhurst
NCC Enactus is proud to announce an exciting new development:
All coffee served across campus is now roasted in-house, right here on campus.
Whether you're enjoying the refreshed Cardinal Caffeine blend at the dining hall (K-Man), ordering an espresso at Boilerhouse Café (BoHo), or stopping by Cardinal Corner, every cup now features beans carefully roasted at our very own college-operated facility.
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Over the summer, the Parkhurst Dining team collaborated closely with The Coffee Lab and Enactus to explore the craft of coffee roasting. Together, we developed custom blends, refined flavor profiles, and enhanced the quality of our offerings — resulting in an elevated coffee experience for the campus community.
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North Central College is believed to be the first institution in the nation to roast 100% of its coffee on-site in a college-owned roastery, with students actively participating in every step of the process.
Self-Employment in the Arts
We've been fortunate to collaborate with Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) in the past and this year, we are excited to take the relationship even farther by hosting the event in the space attached to our Coffee Lab. This two day event is focused on business for emerging creatives.
Here's just a quick overview of some of the sessions:
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From Passion to Profit: Launching Your Creative Business
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Making Art, Making Money: A Conversation on Pricing
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Building Creative Connections: From Conversation to Opportunity
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Own Your Story: Building a Brand That Reflects Your Creative Vision
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Music Law: Protecting Rights and Navigating the Industry
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Making Money Multiple Ways: Diversifying Your Income as an Artist