Aviator Coffee is more than a coffee company – we’re a movement to empower coffee-growing communities from the ground up.
Our Journey
The Friendship That Started The Journey
Born from founder Tony Arevalo’s deep roots in Guatemala and a lifelong passion for specialty coffee, Aviator Coffee began as a humble green coffee importing business. But what started with roasting beans at home has grown into a mission to uplift the people behind every cup.
In 2013, Tony met Aaron Lilly, a fellow coffee lover and adventurer. Their shared passion for coffee, culture, and connection led them to explore Guatemala together in 2016 — a journey that opened their eyes to something far deeper than just exceptional beans. What they discovered were vibrant but underserved communities, rich in tradition and potential, yet limited by systemic barriers.
That moment sparked a vision: to help build and empower truly sustainable coffee-growing communities.
Our Mission
We’re not here to repackage the same old sustainability buzzwords.
While many in the industry claim “sustainable practices,” the focus is often on the coffee, not the communities. We believe sustainability starts with people — their land, their history, their future.
Our mission is to level the playing field in the specialty coffee world by investing directly in the communities that grow it. We focus on:
- Infrastructure development
- Access to education and agricultural training
- Market connectivity and fair value exchange
Because true sustainability isn’t just about how coffee is grown — it’s about who grows it and how we can help them thrive.
Our Flagship Project:
La Comunidad de Café Candelaria
Located high above Pochuta, Chimaltenango in the heart of Guatemala’s volcanic highlands, Candelaria is more than just a place — it’s a story of resilience.
For generations, the people of Candelaria have cultivated world-class coffee on ancestral lands, surviving political oppression, land seizures, and civil war. In 2002, they regained control of their land through ASOCAMPO (Asociación Campesina Pochuteca), but the lack of infrastructure and economic opportunity continues to hold the community back.
That’s where we come in.
In 2024, we partnered with Universo Maya, led by Dennis Trinidad and Andrea Guerra — whose family has called Candelaria home for over a century. Together, we’ve begun transforming Candelaria into a model for what true community-centered sustainability can look like.
Our work includes:
- Reviving the historic, community-owned coffee mill (built in the early 1900s)
- Creating direct export pipelines to the U.S., Europe, and Asia
- Implementing a five-year agroforestry and organic farming plan across 2,000+ acres
- Investing in infrastructure, education, and clean water access
And most importantly, we’re doing it with the community, not for them.
Why it Matters
- Candelaria isn’t an isolated case — it’s a blueprint.
- We’ve already begun conversations with other indigenous farming communities in Huehuetenango, Cobán, and Sololá who are eager to replicate this model. Guatemala’s indigenous population is deeply rooted in family, community, and land — and when given the tools and support, they can build a thriving, sustainable future on their own terms.
- We’re building a community-first approach to specialty coffee that honors tradition while embracing innovation.
Join us
- This isn’t charity. It’s partnership.
- Whether you’re a roaster, café owner, investor, or simply someone who believes in a fairer world for coffee farmers, you can be part of the change.
- Let’s shift the conversation — from sustainable coffee to sustainable coffee-growing communities.
“Better Communities, Better Coffee” Get Involved
Tony Arevalo
Chief Visionary
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