Hello Judges

HISTORY OF THE ALTOS DE QUITUPAMBA ESTATE – DAZA FAMILY
Our leader, Guillermo Torres Daza, has worked for 30 years on human development programs with marginalized communities in Colombia, and currently with rural populations in Nariño. He held important positions in various social organizations, and it was at the Social Foundation where his passion for coffee farming was born. Today, he directs Rural Innovation projects at Ecomindala SAS, the legal entity of the Altos de Quitupamba farm, which currently promotes two brands: Hello Judges and Dulce Milagros. Guillermo's more than 15 years of experience supporting coffee farmers in Nariño have led him to seek the greatest profitability in coffee farming while also having a positive social and environmental impact on the producing communities. This is why, since 2015, his family has been involved in the production project, which implements demonstration-based processes to provide coffee farmers in the region with a learning opportunity.

Currently, the Daza family produces specialty coffees at the Altos de Quitupamba farm and has a processing plant and export operations for specialty coffee from Nariño. Guillermo and Jack Ray's work focuses on promoting research and innovation partnerships with coffee growers' organizations, universities, government agencies, and international partners. In this regard, they have developed small but significant projects to improve the quality and consistency of Nariño coffees through the application of Industry 4.0 technologies.

Guillermo shares his work in coffee farming with Patricia, a teacher by profession. From the beginning, they have built a space on their coffee farm for meeting, exchanging knowledge, and learning. Here, children, young people, women, and anyone interested in specialty coffee can experience firsthand the remarkable work of a farming family in producing some of the best coffees in Colombia and the world. Together with the women coffee farmers in the area, Patricia implements best practices for the meticulous harvesting of the ripest cherries, as well as controlled fermentation, drying, and storage. This is achieved through information systems, instruments, and machinery that have significantly improved the consistency and the physical and sensory quality of the coffee.

Since 2024, the Hello Judges brand has been consolidated to strengthen the quality and marketing of the finest coffees produced by the farm. Hello Judges was born from the passion for competitions shared by two family members, Jorge and Carolina, who have years of experience as competitors and judges at the national and Latin American levels. This allows them to promote the farm's most specialized coffees for use in competitions, auctions, exclusive distributors, and specialty roasters both nationally and internationally. For commercial management in North America, Jack Ray, an American, contributes his extensive knowledge and management skills to ensure that the coffee produced in Nariño reaches this market and is appreciated by new consumers.