“What inspires me daily is the work itself,” says Juan “Enki” Suarez, a coffee buyer whose passion took root years ago in Venezuela. Back then, he was studying mechanical engineering, but a university strike forced him to look for something new. A weekend barista course offered a simple solution: keep busy and earn a little money. It turned out to be the start of an extraordinary journey. In those two short days, Enki discovered a world of espresso machines, temperature gauges, and endless flavor possibilities. He only touched the machine for ten minutes, but he fell in love with its complexity. “How can humanity build something so intricate, just for coffee?” he wondered. From that moment, he resolved to give this craft the same dignity his mother had always taught him to give any job.
Enki Suárez
When the economic crisis in Venezuela made daily life uncertain, Enki decided to build his future in Colombia. He opened a small coffee shop in Medellín, using that experience to refine his barista skills and practice English with visiting tourists. Although Colombia is renowned for its coffee, he soon realized how much he wanted to explore beans from other origins—a goal nearly impossible without leaving the country. Then, a friend and fellow barista, Estella Zuleta Carmona, contacted him from the United Arab Emirates. She had a lead on a barista position in Dubai. At first, Enki couldn’t believe coffee could take him so far, but when the plane ticket appeared in his inbox, he packed his bags for a new adventure.
Dubai opened his eyes to specialty coffee in a way he never expected. While Colombia’s supply of local coffee is legendary, Dubai offered a global stage. He encountered coffees from Ethiopia, Kenya, Indonesia, and Panama, and he met baristas using cutting-edge equipment. On his days off, he traveled from café to café, cupping anything he could find to train his palate. His thirst for knowledge didn’t go unnoticed—Enki also helped train a friend, Nipendra Maharjan, who went on to win the UAE Latte Art Championship. Those were moments he cherished: sharing what he’d learned and seeing someone else thrive. But something deeper called him back to his roots. Making excellent coffee was fulfilling, but he longed to support farmers more directly.
“I kept thinking, what am I giving back to origin?” he recalls.
Enki Suárez
During a cupping event in Dubai, he met Morten Wennersgaard, the founder of Nordic Approach. Though they weren’t hiring, they offered Enki a six-month internship in Oslo—unpaid, but with housing and food provided. It was a bold invitation that would move him closer to working directly with producers. He decided to go, even though it meant leaving a stable job and, more importantly, living far from his mother in Colombia. The timing soon turned bittersweet. After arriving in Norway, the pandemic locked borders worldwide, and Enki found himself “trapped”—unable to return home just as his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Those were agonizing months, living halfway across the globe, unable to help her in person, and earning no salary. Still, Norway became a crash course in sourcing coffee. Enki learned how to evaluate samples, track moisture levels, negotiate transparent prices, and manage logistics. Nordic Approach taught him the philosophy he lives by today: pay fairly, build trust, and foster lasting relationships.
Eventually, he made it home, relieved to find his mother recovering. Over time, he officially joined Nordic Approach, settling in Colombia as a green coffee buyer. Now he travels across the country, meeting farmers of every scale—from large estates to micro-lot growers with just half a hectare. Some produce only enough coffee to fill a few bags a year, so Enki organizes communities and cooperatives to gather lots that can be exported together. His focus is on genuine, long-term connections, paying above production costs, and ensuring traceability from farm to roast.
“Buying coffee is easy…but honoring a relationship year after year, that’s the real work.”
Today, Enki moves between Bogotá and Medellín, scouting the next great harvest. He’s also a proud tour guide of sorts—if you’re ever in Colombia, he invites you to reach out on Instagram at @enkisuarez. He’ll happily introduce you to the country’s flourishing café scene or even arrange a trip to meet the farmers and families behind the beans. For Enki, coffee has always been more than a beverage. It’s a way to connect with people, elevate local communities, and prove that any job—done with respect and heart—can change a life. Have you ever found a calling that moved you across borders, both physical and personal? Share your story in the comments, and let’s keep celebrating the hidden journeys within every cup.
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