How One Hult Student Is Managing Colombian Earthquake Relief From 2,500 Miles Away

It’s one thing to study leadership, logistics and decision-making in class, and it’s another to put those skills to the test right in the middle of an actual disaster.

Most college students are focused on their studies, and perhaps a job alongside them. Right now, Hult International Business School student Natalie Ramirez Porras is focused on much more. Impressively, Ramirez is coordinating disaster relief efforts in the Colombian coffee-growing community her family has called home for generations all from afar.

Ramirez is an Economics and Finance student – Class of 2028, and she has many roles. She’s a student. She leads dance classes in the Salsa Bachata Nexus club on campus. She’s president of Hult’s Women+ in Business organization. And then she’s also co-founder of Reysol Coffee Roasters, which she runs with her mother Johanna Porras, and her sister Linda. The shop itself is in New Jersey, but its roots reach back to Balboa, Risaralda, Colombia, where her family has been for generations.

SIX GENERATIONS IN BALBOA

Going back a bit, a powerful earthquake struck the region on August 10, damaging 604 homes and destroying 85. When Ramirez heard what had happened, she and her family felt a strong urge to help the community. She has the perfect opportunity to start using what she had learned in school and using what she had learned from helping run the coffee shop to a real crisis that was close to her heart.

“We didn’t have anyone directly helping Balboa,” Ramirez says, “So my family and I stepped up to help figure out how to bring in aid.”

Ramirez’s grandfather founded Rey Sol Coffee Farms in Balboa in 1966, but her family’s connection to the region goes back even further. Her grandparents were essentially the original founders of the town ages ago. They were both deeply involved in the community, helping build institutions and supporting residents beyond their farm. They were greatly loved and respected by everyone, says Ramirez.

“Back in Balboa, my family has been harvesting coffee for about six generations now,” she says. “Seeing families who had also lived in Balboa for generations like us lose their homes was horrible,” Ramirez says.

Immediately, there were challenges for the families affected. Many of their homes lost their basic structure – their walls, roofs, and doors. They are without shelter during Colombia’s rainy season. Balboa’s mountainous terrain makes it tough to send resources in, and aside for that, they’ve faced issues of thieves raiding resources before they can make it to the town.

Ramirez is now helping to run a full-scale logistics effort. The family funded the first shipment of resources themselves, and collected donations through their coffee shops. They recently set a goal of acquiring $50,000 in releif via Gofundme. They partnered with community groups, schools and local firefighters while building a tracking system.

“We are doing everything on the ground,” Ramirez says, “especially my mother – she’s been a huge part of this effort.”

COMMUNITY AT THE CORE

Much of their relief operation is quite similar to that of how their family runs Coffee Roasters. Ramirez coordinates communication, fundraising and outreach from the U.S. Her mother oversees packing and logistics, while her sister helps manage distribution efforts in Colombia.

“This is the relief ecosystem that we have in place,” Ramirez says.

For Ramirez, the experience has really blurred the line between classroom learning and real-world leadership. What she’s learned as an Economics and Finance student are now being applied to challenges with high stakes for the community and people she loves.

In addition to managing her courses, Ramirez continues handling financial responsibilities for the family business while pursuing new wholesale partnerships. At the same time, she is helping oversee a growing relief effort more than 2,500 miles away. Why she does it is all for the sake of humanity, all for her community.

“When the earthquake happened, I kept thinking about the farmers and the families who have been part of our story for generations,” she explains. “It made me realize that leadership isn’t about how much you have on your plate. It’s about showing up when people need you. This experience reinforced why we are doing this work in the first place and reminded me to let our mission speak for itself.”

This experience has reinforced a simple truth: leadership is not about having all the answers or managing the most responsibilities. It’s about staying connected to the people behind the work.

“These are the people who make our coffee shop what it is. The people in my community made me who I am today,” Ramirez says. “The work ethic, the mentality, and the mindset that I have is all because of them. If you know me, we’ll figure out how to help our community even more. I just know we will figure this out.”

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