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 specialty African coffee.
As a dedicated operator, Deborah oversees all roasting technicalities and facility management at the Kanfuela roastery, an FDA-approved commercial space. 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.
Her literary work is represented by Katie Shea Boutillier at Donald Maass Literary Agency in NYC.