Who We Are
Senior Staff - US
Executive Director and Founder – Stephanie Palm Neves
Stephanie Palm Neves is the Founder and Executive Director of Socially Conscious Coffee, and is the founder and manager of Palm Neves Research and Consulting. She has conducted extensive research on international and domestic microfinance and has co-taught a course on the same topic at the University of Denver Korbel School of International Studies. While working for a non-profit microfinance institution, she directed an individual guaranteed business lending program and coordinated a peer lending program for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs. Stephanie has observed microfinance in India through Rotary Internationals Group Study Exchange program, and holds a Masters Degree at the University of Denver in Global Trade, Finance, and Economic Integration with a focus on sustainable development. She speaks fluent Portuguese and Spanish.
Senior Staff – Brazil
Andria Caires Moraes is a licensed pedagogical instructor by the Universidade Norte do Pararan (UNOPAR). She is lead teacher and coordinator at the Socially Conscious Coffee Centro Rural Educafé.
Our Board of Directors
Erin McAlpin Eiselein serves at the Chairman of the Board for Socially Conscious Coffee. She is an attorney at the Denver law firm of Davis Graham & Stubbs, LLP. She is a member of the firms trial group, specializing in antitrust and health care law. Erin always has had a keen interest in international matters. While an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, she had the opportunity to spend a semester studying at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. After graduation, she moved to Washington D.C. to work in the Congressional Liaison and Cultural Affairs offices at the Embassy of Australia. She earned her J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law, where she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Denver Journal of International Law and Policy. In her practice, Erin devotes a significant amount of time to pro bono work. She is a member of the Education Task Force of the Colorado Lawyers Committee and has volunteered with Rocky Mountain Childrens Law Center. Erin and her family live in Denver.
Eric Anderson serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Board. He is an Account Director with EffectiveUI, a Denver-based design and development agency focused on the creation of engaging, user-centered design and technologies. Eric has a long history of volunteerism, most recently as a regular volunteer for Special Olympics Colorado. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder where he studied Journalism and Advertising. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Eric developed a passion for travel, embarking on road trips across the United States during breaks in the school year. In recent years, Eric and his wife have visited countries across Europe, Asia and Central America. Eric earned his MBA from the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business where he focused on Strategic Marketing Managment.
Lauren Evans is the founder and owner of Pinyon Environmental Engineering Resources, Inc. (Pinyon), a Colorado-based environmental consulting company. She is a licensed professional engineer with over 24 years of experience, primarily in the environmental field. Lauren is active with the American Council of Engineering Companies, and has served as President, the Chair of the Environmental Committee, and as Secretary-Treasurer. In 2005 Lauren was honored by that organization as the Colorado Woman Engineer of the Year. Outside of professional organizations, Lauren has been a child advocate through the Denver branch of CASA (court-appointed special advocates). She is also a member of Engineers Without Borders, and has provided technical assistance on sustainability programs for the Rainforest Alliance. Lauren is a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines.
Pat McGuckin is a seasoned entrepreneur, having founded four companies over the past 25 years. His current company, Satisfi Inc., provides environmental information for commercial real estate transactions. Pat’s previous ventures included an environmental insurance agency, a previous environmental information provider, and a sales agency for engineering construction products. Each company was built from scratch and eventually sold, including one that was purchased by a NASDAQ-traded firm. Pat earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona in Tucson, and has served as an adjunct professor for the University of Denver. He moved to Denver with his family 19 years ago, and has become an avid climber, skier, bicyclist, and angler.
Craig Arseneau, Board Member
Mimi Schaefer, Board Member
