Case Study: Vanderbilt University achieves sustainable, equitable innovation in the coffee sector with Wazoku

Vanderbilt University - Customer Case Study

Vanderbilt University’s Coffee Equity Lab at the Wond’ry set out to address systemic social, economic and environmental inequities across the global coffee sector. Confronting complex, interlinked challenges—from climate impacts to racial and gender injustice—the Lab needed a way to unite students, faculty and industry professionals to build systems-level insight, open dialogue, and collaborative solutions.

Powered by Wazoku software, the Lab ran a 12‑week Coffee Equity Design Challenge and a series of public programs that engaged 500+ participants from nine countries, 80+ contributors and mentors, 10 webinars with 34 panelists, 19 student teams and 30 sector mentors. Outcomes included four systems research projects, 13 sustainability prototypes, broader cross‑sector understanding and collaboration, and a strategic focus on scaling the Lab’s model and partnerships for greater impact.

Vanderbilt University