In this episode, Matt Hayes, founder of Bridging Tables, explains how his team is reshaping the specialty coffee supply chain by aligning the needs of farmers, mills, and roasters. Through transparent financing and relationship-first logistics, Bridging Tables connects the right people at the right time, without excluding those who play a real role. This is about making the supply chain smarter. And it’s delivering real results: better margins, stronger partnerships, and more resilient communities.
Coffee’s global supply chain is long, layered, and stacked against the smallest players. Farmers need capital up front. Roasters want terms. And between them, a maze of middlemen adds cost and confusion.
Matt Hayes, founder of Bridging Tables, is helping both ends meet. With a background in recruiting and deep ties in emerging markets, Matt built a model that finances trust, not just transactions. By enabling direct trade, providing pre-financing, and focusing on real relationships, Bridging Tables is rethinking how coffee moves and who benefits.
In this episode, we dive into:
✅ Why the traditional supply chain doesn’t work for farmers or roasters
✅ How Bridging Tables structures contracts to meet both sides’ financial needs
✅ The story of Kilvet, a small Honduran farmer whose profit soared 1000%
✅ What transparent pricing and live translation tech can do for trust
✅ The role of human connection in building sustainable, scalable change
Sponsors