Hello from 30,000 feet, somewhere between Guatemala and home. We just spent a valuable week reconnecting with our incredible coffee importer and producers. Before I dive into the details of the trip, I want to offer some context on the journey that brought us here.
Why We Source Coffee from Guatemala and Our Partnership with Collaborative Origins Imports
Before starting Asulon Collective, I knew I wanted to source our coffees intentionally and relationally. During the dream phase of business planning, I discovered Collaborative Origins Imports. Even before we were officially in business, I was determined to work with them. Our values align greatly as they are highly relational, very transparent, incredibly honorable and actively involved with the coffee producers at the farm level.
From Coffee Cart to Coffee House in Downtown Clarksville
In 2021, I launched our first coffee cart in Franklin, Tennessee serving throughout the greater Nashville area.
Asulon Collective Coffee Cart Launch Day
In 2022, through pivotal relationships, we began sourcing coffee from Guatemala through Collaborative Origins. We also joyfully partnered with High Brow Coffee + Tea to toll roast these coffees with care and excellence.
We say “Cultivating Connection through Craft Coffee” not as a tagline, but as a guiding principle. We hope to live this out each day with our customers, clients, and throughout our communities.
But I quickly realized that if we were going to cultivate connection well, I needed to connect to the origin personally. So in 2023, I traveled to Guatemala alone for the first time to meet our coffee partners and producers, walk the farms, and begin building direct relationships.
That trip was truly foundational. It unlocked vision, renewed conviction, brought fresh inspiration and fueled growth!
One coffee cart grew to four. And in early 2025, we opened our first coffee shop in downtown Clarksville.
Why Returning to Origin Matters for Our Nashville & Clarksville Community
As we built our team, I shared with them the deeper purpose behind what we do – from seed to cup. We watched, “A Film About Coffee,” shared the coffee producers stories and provided education on the coffee journey. We talked about hospitality and also dove into barista training as we value quality. Because when customers walk through our doors, they aren’t just buying a latte — they’re participating in something far bigger.
As we continue to grow, it’s important to me that we don’t simply maintain relationships, but we strengthen them. That’s why 2026 felt like the right time to return.
Our hope is to continue building the bridge from coffee producer to coffee consumer – because ultimately, we are connected together. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a mini blog series introducing you to the people, cooperatives, and farms behind the coffee you drink every day. Thank you for being part of this story!
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Follow Along with Our Guatemala 2026 Producer Series
Next up: Day 1 at CIACAFE — La Cooperativa de San Juan Sacatepéquez.
If you’re in downtown Clarksville, we would love to share these Guatemala coffees with you in person. And if you’re planning an event in Nashville, our coffee cart team would be honored to bring this story — and these producers — to your gathering.
