MEET OUR FOUNDER

Jack Karuletwa | Founder & CEO

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As a young man, Jack witnessed many Rwandans, almost always Tutsi, on the move and unsettled, the results of political unrest and the impending genocide. His family was among those on the move.

Jack’s father sensed trouble in Rwanda as early as the 1960s and made a quick decision to move the family out of the country. As a result, Jack and his siblings spent most of their lives as Tutsi refugees from Rwanda unable to live in their own country simply because of the ethnic group from which they came. They moved consistently, changed their names, or even pretended not to be Rwandan. During this time, his mother shielded her children from the danger with her strong faith and maternal instincts. Jack knew when he moved to the United States in the mid-1990s that his father was saving him from ever having to go back to Rwanda where there seemed no hope of escaping intense scrutiny, discrimination and hostility.

He attended Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. There he studied physics and discovered his aptitude for basketball, which lead to a three-month travel tour with the Harlem Globe Trotters and a place on the NBA practice team. He also worked as an actor on nationally syndicated television shows and commercials, and co-starred in a Disney feature film. With every opportunity he promised himself that one day he would return to Rwanda from a position of strength and hope.

The timing could not have been better than now! With new leadership, Rwanda is now prepared and poised to promote reconciliation, regeneration and a new vision for the country. Jack will be a part of that vision by introducing Rwanda as one of the best producers of coffee and tea in the world.

Silverback Coffee is Proudly Black Owned
Proudly black owned.

MEET OUR FOUNDER

Jack Karuletwa | Founder & CEO

Adversity creates diamonds.

As a young man, Jack witnessed many Rwandans, almost always Tutsi, on the move and unsettled, the results of political unrest and the impending genocide. His family was among those on the move.

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our story

How your morning coffee can also wake up a nation.

Silverback Coffee of Rwanda donates a percentage of its profits to organizations that build schools and provide services to widows and orphans of genocide. We’ve also partnered with the Rwandan government to improve the care of the native wildlife and natural resources.

But our mission is much bigger than that. We’re empowering, elevating, and inviting the country’s poorest farmers into the production process – so they can see their value and begin to participate in the global economy. We’re also investing in the care of the volcanic hills the coffee is grown on, preserving it so future generations of farmers can thrive.

Coffee is life.

In more ways than one.
Silverback of Rwanda wasn’t just a catchy name we came up with on a whim. Our beans are grown near the endangered Silverback Gorillas’ natural habitat. So, we’ve partnered with the Rwandan government to improve the Silverbacks’ quality of care, ensure their protection, and reinvigorate their population.

“I really admire Jack and Silverback Coffee’s commitment to helping rebuild Rwanda, a cause that’s close to my heart. By donating a portion of their profits, they’re directly affecting the people of Rwanda and the mountain gorillas. In addition to their positive influence, the coffee is amazing.”

– Jack Hanna
Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Host of Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild, and board member of Gorilla Doctors