Join us for a warm afternoon of coffee, culture, and community at International House Davis.

In partnership with Pura Vida Beans, this event takes you through the full journey of Costa Rican coffee — from how it is grown, harvested, and roasted to the communities and livelihoods it shapes along the way. Hear directly from a Costa Rican farmer through a live virtual conversation, and listen to the personal story of Pablo, founder of Pura Vida Beans, as he shares his connection to coffee and the people behind every cup.

The second half of the afternoon focuses on brewing. Through live demonstrations, Pablo will walk you through simple techniques for both hot and cold brew methods, with tips you can bring home to elevate your everyday routine. The session includes 2 to 3 guided tastings to experience the flavor differences between brewing styles.

This is a relaxed, welcoming space designed for learning, conversation, and connection. No experience necessary — whether you are a coffee enthusiast or simply curious, all are welcome.

Tickets: HERE

• I-House members & Students $20
• General Public $25

Free tickets available upon request at bit.ly/ihouseticketrequest

Pura Vida Beans will be available for purchase during the event. Proceeds benefit International House Davis.

About Pablo Mata Álvarez:

Pablo was born and raised in Alajuelita, a small town on the southside of San José, Costa Rica. Growing up, summers meant trips up to the family farms to pick coffee with siblings and cousins, turning the plantations into playgrounds without ever imagining those fields would one day disappear or that coffee would find its way back into his life years later.

As a teenager, Pablo would drive up El Llano to watch the sunset over the capital, passing the old beneficios — the infrastructure where coffee was once received and processed — still standing but faded from their glory days. It was a world he had grown up in without fully understanding it, and one that was quietly waiting for him to return.

His entrepreneurial journey began in 2001 when he and his younger brother launched Gizmo, a mobile phone boutique and repair shop built to help support their family while finishing college. Starting a business is always exciting, but building one is a daily fight. Through years of struggle, adaptation, and perseverance, Gizmo evolved into a circular economy focused repair and recycling service rooted in the philosophy that nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.

In 2021, a visit to Davis, California to see family changed the direction of his life. His cousin Estid and his wife Elizabeth, owners of Picasso Hair Salon on G Street, had built something special — a place where people of all different cultures and backgrounds came together and shared life with one another. Pablo fell in love with Davis immediately. The idea of starting something new here took root and would not let go.

He returned in April 2022 for a full month to study the market, learn the culture, and listen to the community. It was during that visit that he first crossed paths with Jen Gussman, though it would not be until October of that same year, at Picasso Salon, that the two would really have the chance to connect. That conversation would prove to be one of the most important of his life. Jen, a Davis local with deep roots in the community, brought warmth, perspective, and a shared sense of purpose into Pablo’s world. The two built a life together in Davis, and today their home is filled with the kind of love, laughter, and cross cultural richness that Pablo had always believed a community could hold.

By September 2022, Pablo arrived in Davis for good, carrying with him the most important lesson from over two decades as a small business owner: to build something that lasts, you need a strong why. A personal connection to what you do. A meaningful reason that keeps you going through the hard times, makes you pour your heart into your work, and binds you to the people around you.

For Pablo, that reason was coffee. The crop he picked as a child, the culture he grew up inside of, and the stories, communities, and livelihoods it carries from farm to cup. Pura Vida Beans is his way of sharing that connection with the world, one cup at a time. Rooted in Costa Rican tradition and nourished by the community of Davis, it is a business built not just on great coffee, but on the belief that every cup has a story worth telling.

About Pura Vida Beans:

Pura Vida Beans was born from a simple but powerful idea: that a great cup of coffee can be a moment of gratitude, a chance to slow down, and a connection to something bigger than yourself.

Founded by Pablo Mata, Pura Vida Beans sources all of its coffee directly from the Farmers Project, a collective of small farms in Costa Rica — most of them women owned — committed to fair prices, sustainable land practices, and supporting the families and workers behind every harvest. Two of the farmers serve on the board of directors for the International Women’s Coffee Alliance. Every batch is personally roasted and packed by Pablo at CoRo, a collaborative roasting facility in Berkeley, California, and is certified carbon footprint friendly through CAFE Practices, the AAAA Sustainable Quality Program, and NAMA.

The dream is to grow into all eight coffee regions of Costa Rica, buying directly from small farmers and sharing their stories with the world. As much as Pura Vida Beans is about great coffee, it is really about origin, connection, and finding joy in the everyday. Your support makes a real and lasting difference for the farmers and families back in Costa Rica — and it all starts with your cup.