Earlier this year, we stood with Helena Oliviero on the balcony of a farmhouse in Bucaramanga, Colombia. The air was still warm from the day, the sky fading into deep blues over the mountains. We had just finished three days of training young farmers, and she leaned against the railing, smiling quietly as if replaying the moments in her head.
It’s hard to imagine that all of this — the GCAG course, the friendships, the laughter — started years ago with nothing more than a message on Instagram. Back then, Helena was a coffee professional we admired from afar. We interviewed her for one of our earliest I’M NOT A BARISTA stories, and somehow, the conversation never stopped. A voice note here, a comment there, sometimes months apart — yet the thread of connection stayed.
We didn’t know that this small bond would one day pull us together on the same farm, working side by side to teach farmers skills that could change their livelihoods. GCAG was just one chapter. Helena’s story is so much more.
Helena Oliviero
Helena Oliviero (left) and Leonardo Gaviria (right), photo by Cristian Galvis
From Shakers to Portafilters
Helena’s coffee story began in a way she could never have predicted. At 17, she wasn’t dreaming of latte art or cupping tables — she wanted to mix cocktails. The glamour and energy of bartending called to her more than the steady hum of an espresso machine.
She left Italy for the U.K., planning to study and work in bars, but life had other plans. Cocktail jobs were scarce. Coffee jobs were not. She became a barista to pay the bills, and in the process, discovered something unexpected — coffee wasn’t just a drink, it was a craft. A science. A community.
From that point on, she dived headfirst into learning everything she could. Espresso extraction, brewing methods, sensory skills, green bean selection, roasting — she wanted to understand the whole journey from farm to cup. She earned multiple competition titles along the way, but never chased fame. For Helena, those moments were about growth, not trophies.
A Life Between Italy and Colombia
Helena’s career took her far beyond Italy. Years ago, she became connected to Colombia’s coffee lands — enough that she now co-owns a farm there. That farm has her traveling regularly between continents, spending time in rural fields one month and back in her quiet Italian hometown the next.
The contrast couldn’t be sharper: Colombia’s mountains alive with the hum of harvest, Italy’s countryside moving at a gentler pace. But Helena seems to belong to both. The farm connects her to the producers’ reality, and her life in Italy keeps her grounded.
She is also a mother, raising her child while navigating a career that demands travel, teaching, and constant learning. She doesn’t present her life as perfect. The truth is, it’s built on persistence — choosing to keep going, even when it’s not easy.
The Call That Became a “Yes”
When we put out an open invitation for trainers to help deliver the first GCAG course in Colombia, we knew it was a big ask. It meant leaving home for at least a week, traveling across the ocean, and giving time freely to a project designed to help others.
Helena didn’t hesitate. She didn’t ask for conditions or benefits. She simply said yes.
Her willingness wasn’t about the return — it was about the people. GCAG’s goal was to help young farmers strengthen their skills, understand quality, and see coffee as more than just a crop. Helena believed in that mission because it reflected her own values.
Leonardo Gaviria (left) and Helena Oliviero (Right)
Three Days in Santander
The training took place at Café Hacienda Casablanca in Bucaramanga. Helena led the sessions with another coffee educator Leonardo Gaviria by her side, creating a space where every participant felt involved.
Eighteen farmers joined us, traveling from across the region. Most had never cupped coffee before, never used modern brewing equipment. Helena guided them through cupping sessions, flavor identification, and brewing with V60 and AeroPress. She explained the importance of water quality, grind size, and consistency — making sure theory always met practice.
The tools, provided by TIMEMORE, were more than just props for a class. On the final day, when the host Maria Lucia announced that each participant could take them home, there was disbelief. One farmer admitted he thought it was a joke until she said it three times. Only then did he let himself smile — I can’t believe it, it is really happening.
The Person Behind the Trainer
We knew Helena Oliviero before GCAG, but that week let us see her up close. She’s warm and friendly. Focused, but always aware of the people around her. She doesn’t push herself into the spotlight — she’d rather watch others succeed and know she played a part.
Her style isn’t about giving answers; it’s about giving others the space to find them. She moved from table to table, answering questions, encouraging the shy participants, and making sure no one felt left behind. And when the day’s work ended, she was the same — sharing meals, talking about coffee and life, laughing over the day’s small mishaps.
In the evenings, we’d sit outside on the balcony, looking out over the hills not far away. We talked about how far we’d come since that first online meeting, about the challenges farmers face, about what could come next. Those conversations reminded us that coffee is never just about coffee. It’s about people.
Beyond the Course
When the GCAG sessions ended, Helena returned to Italy — but only for a short time. Three months later, she was back in Colombia, not just to visit her own farm but to return to Santander. She began offering more training to farmers and coffee shops in the region, continuing the relationships she’d built during GCAG.
That’s Helena Oliviero. She doesn’t just show up for a project and disappear. She stays connected. She makes sure the seeds she’s helped plant keep growing.
GCAG Colombia 2025
Why We’re Grateful
Helena’s journey is full of impressive moments — champion titles, international work, a life balanced between two coffee worlds. But what makes her truly special to us isn’t on paper. It’s in the way she says yes to helping others. It’s in the way she treats every person, from a champion to a farmer cupping for the first time, with the same respect.
She didn’t come to GCAG for recognition or reward. She came because she believed it would matter. And it did.
When we think of Helena, we think of the balcony talks, the sound of slurping at the cupping table, the farmers’ surprise when they learned they could take their tools home. We think about how a small connection years ago grew into a friendship and a shared purpose that crossed oceans.
Coffee brought us together. Friendship keeps us going.
If you meet her, you’ll see what we mean. She’s proof that when passion meets generosity, the results go far beyond what any one person can do alone. And for us, Helena Oliviero will always be more than a trainer or a champion. She’s family.
What’s Your Coffee Story?
