Atlanta: Coffee, Investments and Conversations

Poorvi Modi '22
Major: Economics, Information Systems

On this memorable rainy day, the Ramblers visited Alma Coffee, Invesco and attended the Alumni reception. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we left for our first site visit and on the occasion of International Women's Day, shared about the inspiring women in our lives.

Quinlan alum, Harry Hutchins, and his wife Leticia hosted us at our first site of the day, Alma Coffee. The co-founders shared the inspiring story of Alma Coffee, the journey from Honduras to the US, and how steadfast they are on their three pillars: improving lives, sustainable practices, extraordinary coffee. According to Harry, coffee binds the community, and Alma wants to enhance that experience for people. We received a tour of the roastery and saw up-close the process of coffee roasting, bean selection and a coffee tasting session. Besides the excitement and the ‘Enchanted’ dark roast, it was very inspiring to see how much the leaders are involved in the day-to-day operations of the roastery, in addition to handling the procurement of beans from their family-owned farm in Honduras. They have also fostered relationships in other countries and communities where they source their beans from. Through all of this, they stay loyal to their values about improving lives and following sustainable practices. To me, the story of Alma Coffee reemphasized the importance of building personable professional connections in the longevity of a business. For a long day with an early start, the smell of freshly roasted coffee and the coffee tasting experience was exactly what we needed!

After the amazing coffee, we indulged in a quick lunch at Mellow Mushroom, before going to our next site visit to Invesco. Invesco had organized a unique experience for us where we were able to rotate between individuals and learn about syndicate, trading, equity, and fixed income. We saw how the everyday trading process worked in each of those specialties and were in fact able to see a real-time trade be completed in front of us! This was followed by an enriching panel, where we were able to get a great perspective on Invesco hearing from the Chief Strategist for Fixed Income, an Associate, and the Head of Diversity and Inclusion. Our visit to Invesco was holistic, as it enabled us to understand the company operations, the leadership front, as well as the company culture.

With the rain still pouring, we arrived back to our hotel for the Alumni Reception. The reception is a highlight of all Ramble trips, and it is a networking event for the Ramble participants and several Loyola alums from the city joined us for this evening of appetizers and conversations. Myself and my fellow participants were able to engage with a diverse group of alumni, learn and share stories, and get insights into different fields such as private equity, consulting, communications and even academia. It was inspiring to hear the alums’ stories, ranging from determined linear goals to paths that took shape.

At the end of the evening, some of us went to Bulla Gastrobar, a Spanish restaurant, to unwind and reflected upon our day as a group. We were inspired and enriched, and sure were ready for another day of learning and fun!