Move Over, Juan Valdez

Martha Bowen

EO, Latin Organics

photo by Jaime Kowal

Growing up, Martha Bowen had a dream: she wanted to live the traditional life of a married woman that her grandmother had enjoyed in her hometown of Valledupar, Colombia. “I wanted to be like a matrona who, through my social help to people and to society, would set a goal for other women and other people,” Martha says.

But things didn’t turn out the way she planned. After Martha and her husband were kidnapped by guerrillas (and subsequently released), the couple decided to leave Colombia and immigrate to Canada. Ten years later, Martha is now living her dream of being a matrona in Vancouver. In 2005, she created Latin Organics, a fair trade, organic coffee company that sells specialty coffee beans purchased directly from the Arhuaco Indians, who live near her Colombian hometown, and who once traded with her grandfather.

A mother of three (Manuela, 13, Tomas, 10, and Sara, 2), Martha does not separate business and family. “We are a tribe, the five of us; we are working on this together,” she says. The kids accompany Mom to meet clients, carry orders, place labels on the coffee bags, and give their feedback on the bags’ designs.

As a tribute to their involvement, Martha called Latin Organics’ latest blend “Tomasa,” a word she created using the first two letters of each child’s first name. A believer in leading by example, Martha explains that her business allows her to act as a role model for her kids while teaching them a strong work ethic.

“I am setting that example for my children, and with that, they will be able to climb mountains and cross oceans. There will be no limits.”

—Isabelle Groc