Born in Isingiro District to a humble family of cattle keepers, Emmanuel Tushabe’s earliest ambitions were modest. He faced a series of setbacks, dropping out of school due to lack of fees and cycling through failed business ventures. But life had something else in store. A job at a leading coffee export company would open his eyes, and his heart, to the untapped gold in Uganda’s coffee sector.
Over 15 years, Emmanuel rose from a teleclerk to certification manager, managing organic coffee projects across the country and interfacing with smallholder farmers. One encounter changed everything, an elderly farmer named Mzee Kayanja brought low-quality coffee to the company. It was rejected. Emmanuel could never forget the pain in the old man’s eyes as he walked away, unpaid and unheard. “That moment stayed with me. I wished I had the power to do something.”, Emmanuel pondered, And so he created that power.
In 2019, Seedstar Specialty Coffee was born in Mbale, amid the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its mission, to educate farmers, improve practices, and unlock the hidden value in every cherry. What started as a personal quest quickly grew into a movement now supporting over 500 smallholder farmers in Bulambuli. The company guides farmers through each step of the coffee value chain, from harvesting red cherries to pulping, drying, hulling into green beans, roasting, and packaging. With each stage, value is added, income increases, and skills are sharpened. For many farmers, this was their first time even tasting the coffee they grow.
The company received the NSSF Hi-Innovator Award, a $20,000 boost that helped purchase motorized pulping machines, key infrastructure now benefiting entire communities. But the journey hasn’t been smooth. Emmanuel speaks candidly of days he wanted to give up, of losses in the market, and of sleepless nights. Yet, through persistence and learning from failures, he pushed forward. “I tried everything, network marketing, bitcoins, you name it. I failed until I decided to focus on one thing I understood: coffee.” Today, Emmanuel is a proud family man, a mentor, and a symbol of agricultural innovation. His coffee is stocked in supermarkets across Kampala and Mbale. He’s signed supply deals, attended trade expos abroad, and helped relatives access education, including a nephew now pursuing a Master’s in Ireland.
He credits part of his growth to the training and mentorship he received at the Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Entrepreneurship, Incubation and Innovation Centre. “My packaging was poor before MUBS. They helped me understand how to brand my coffee in a way that tells a story and sells.”
His advice to fellow entrepreneurs?
“Know your product. Don’t do business because your friend is doing it. Find your passion, understand the challenges, and add value.”