Wayou Sida- Founder of AA Coffee

Wayou Sida, founder of AA Coffee Ethiopian coffee export and co-founder of SN Imports Inc., was raised in rural Ethiopia's Bale administrative region. Coming from a family of coffee farmers, he was one of the few in his village to pursue higher education. At just 10 years old, Wayou had to move 65 km away from home to Dodolla for school. He attended Arbaminch Technical College, earning a diploma in Automotive Technology, before continuing his education at Addis Ababa University for engineering.

In 2006, Wayou and his family won the Diversity Visa lottery, relocating to the United States. The economic downturn in 2008 led him to shift from automotive to social work, earning a graduate degree with honors from Saint Paul Metropolitan State University.

After his children finished high school, Wayou wanted to support his family back home, so he began processing and exporting coffee from his family farmland. He established the motto "coffee from farming to cupping," starting a coffee processing facility, AA Ethiopian Coffee Export, in Ethiopia, and SN Imports Inc. in Minnesota.

Recognizing the importance of education, AA Ethiopian Coffee Export is dedicated to providing high school books and computers to four schools in the district where Wayou grew up. Additionally, AA coffee is committed to reforestation efforts, focusing on replenishing forests in and around coffee farms, preserving the ecosystems.