Deborah Makuma is a French-born, Congolese-American Entrepreneur and the Founder/Roaster-in-Chief of Kanfuela Kaffé. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, she has scaled Kanfuela from a passion project into a commercial operation focused on Congolese specialty coffee.
As a dedicated operator, Deborah oversees all roasting technicalities and operations management at the Kanfuela roastery and at the new café located at Peoria City Hall. Under her leadership, Kanfuela Kaffé has secured elite federal and municipal certifications, including ACDBE, DBE, and SBE.
In addition to her work in the coffee industry, Deborah is a writer and storyteller. Her cultural background informs her unique perspective as a business leader and writer.