Biography

Quality Manager at Caravela Coffee @abbierio @abbiebrews

Abbie is the UK/EU Quality Manager at specialty importer Caravela Coffee, based in London. Having spent 10 years in the commercial grade side of coffee, she now spends most of her time cupping and analysing specialty coffees primarily from Latin and Central America.

Q Instructor and AST @coffee.laboratory.ireland

Alin Giriada is a Q Instructor and AST with over 18 years of experience in the coffee industry. He is the only person in Europe to be certified as a Q Instructor and an SCA Authorized Trainer in all CSP modules.

His expertise covers barista techniques, coffee brewing techniques, green coffee analysis and outsourcing, coffee roasting and coffee sensory analysis. Alin Giriada has trained thousands of coffee professionals, barista champions and world cup tasting champions.

He is also a consultant for United Nations and US Agency for International Development and holds a Masters Degree in Education and Training Management.

Chief Operating Officer of Mió @analuizapellicer @mio.cafe

Ana Luiza Pellicer is Mió's COO for International Businesses.

Mió is a coffee farm in Monte Santo de Minas, Brazil and also an exporter and importer of green coffee in the UK and Europe.

After managing contemporary art exhibitions throughout Latin America for many years, she decided to get involved with the family's coffee business, helping to transform the farm into an international company and oversee every part of the coffee supply chain.

Owner of Indigo & Cloth café and Restaurant Note @andycollns

Lover of all things retail & hospitality. Owner of store and cafe, Indigo & Cloth, and restaurant, Note.

Coffee Community Manager at Minor Figures @minorfigures @mf.bryan.mf

Bryan Serwatka is a queer American, he's worked in specialty coffee for over a decade and he comes with a shabby-chic alter ego known as Auntie Climax who's known for haunting coffee events whether you want her to or not. He works for Minor Figures as Coffee Community Manager which is a funky way of saying he does everything in his power to keep them tight with their roaster, cafe and other brand partners across general marketing and events. In his time in coffee he’s trained over a thousand baristas, competed several times and thrown more parties than Butlins. He’s that human.

Project Lead @voiceireland

VOICE is a member-based Irish environmental charity that empowers individuals and local communities to take positive action to conserve our natural resources. VOICE is the NGO expert in Ireland on waste reduction and circular economy.

Project Lead, Colin O'Byrne, is currently running a programme which aims to help HORECA members to segregagte their waste correctly, and to reduce waste overall.

He will give a short talk about the benefits this project could have for your business.

Roaster & Quality Controller at Bailies Coffee Roasters @eilis_barrett @bailiescoffee

Eilís started working in coffee back in 2018 when she got her first barista job in a small takeaway café in Galway. An obsessive by nature, she quickly fell in love with the technical side of coffee, driving her to discover speciality and pursue a career in the industry.

She started her first roastery job in 2020, which opened up an entirely new rabbit hole to fall into as she learned about the world of green coffee and roasting.

Now based in Belfast, she works in roasting and QC for Bailies Coffee Roasters, spending her free time exploring interesting new coffees and finding likeminded coffee nerds to connect with.

Co-Founder of Kali Coffee Bar @kalicoffeebar

Enda is the Co-Founder of Kali Coffee Bar in Galway and the Irish Brewers Cup Champion 2023. He set up Kali with Laura three years ago with the motto, coffee with intention.

Kali showcases the couple's passion for the industry through sourcing ethical, traceable coffee with honest, warm customer care and intention, every step of the way.

Enda strives to bring an open, curious and exciting energy to the coffee he serves so that customers can become more interested in the specialty coffee world.

Co-host of Brewing it Over podcast & Content Manager at Cup North @brewingitover @_gajl

Grace Talbot, Content and Partnerships Manager for Cup North and Co-Host of Brewing It Over is no stranger to coffee, coffee events and talking. As co-host of Brewing It Over, Grace gets to do one of her favourite things: talk to people! With several years of industry experience under her belt, Grace has a keen passion for accessibility within the industry and is always looking to connect with similarly passionate folk!

Sales at La Marzocco UK & Ireland @lamarzoccouk

Starting his career as sales coordinator at La Marzocco in 2019, Jacob oversees sales in the UK & Ireland, maintaining and building relationships with customers in all corners of the coffee industry.

Owner of ardú coffee @jamesantocoffey @arducoffee

James, alongside his business partner Alan, runs ardú coffee shop in Dunboyne, Meath. A stones throw from Dublin, ardú is a specialty coffee shop with a focus on coffee, community and culture.

Established in 2022, ardú has quickly become embedded in the Dunboyne community serving Imbibe Coffee and locally produced goods from Sourdough & Beyond, Middle Child and The Ballsy Baker.

Previous to setting up ardú James ran Irelands largest specialty coffee subscription service, Bean Delivered for over 3 years. James also spent a brief period on the SCA Ireland Committee, and regularly consults and advises other potential coffee professionals.

Sales at Bombora Supplies @james.kc.shepherd

James Shepherd from Bombora Supplies has been involved in the coffee industry for just over 20 years, starting in sales for a coffee roaster, he has competed and judged at national and international coffee events, James has served as a volunteer for the World Coffee Events board of directors and the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. But he prefers to be an emcee if required.

Owner & Manager of JNP Coffee
@jnpcoffee

Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, owner, and manager of JNP Coffee, advances the global specialty coffee industry and farmers in her native Burundi, East Africa, by producing, promoting, and trading the specialty coffee grown there. With an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School and a 20-plus-year international career, she entered the coffee industry in 2012.

A strong advocate for women coffee farmers in Burundi, Jeanine supports high-quality production through Dushime® premium incentives for high-scoring coffee, lessons in financial literacy, and leadership skills. Jeanine is committed to educating Burundi’s people for the economic empowerment of self-sustaining coffee communities. She was named to the Sprudge 20 in April 2023.

A current SCA board member, Jeanine is a Licensed Q Grader and certified Q. processor Level 1. She was previously SCA Northeast Regional Coordinator, Community Coordinator for the SCA U.S. Chapter, and host of frequent online Business Chats with a wide range of experts on the coffee industry.

Owner of Tree Bark @tree_bark_store @the_coffeecoarse

Owner of Tree Bark Store in the west of Ireland, Jeff is committed to education and access to specialty coffee. Their space offers the very best of Irish and international roasters. When he's not making coffee he's probably talking about it!

Quality & Sustainability Manager at Java Republic @jolanta_turowska @java.republic

Jolanta joined Java Republic in 2006 as a General Operator. For 4 years she worked with the Production Team, fully immersing herself, not just in all of the processes involved in the Java Republic Roastery, but in the entire world of coffee, from bean to cup. In 2010 she was first introduced to the technique of hand-roasting, and from there she never looked back. She has now been roasting coffee with Java Republic for over 10 years. In 2016 she became the Production Manager, leading a hard-working team to be the best they can every day, ensuring that our customers always get the highest quality of coffee possible. In 2022, Jolanta moved into a Quality and Sustainability Manager role, however still maintains an active participation in the roasting of our coffee every day.

Jolanta is by nature a very passionate person and this can be seen in her continuous drive for quality and efficiency. It was this passion that led her to complete an SCAE (Speciality Coffee Association of Europe) Diploma at professional level in 2 chapters – Sensory and Roasting. She was the second person in Ireland to receive the Roasting Professional Accreditation, and the first female roaster ever in the country. In 2022, Jolanta passed her Q Grader exams which means she is now a licensed professional, capable of scoring the quality of roasted coffees.

What Jolanta loves most about her job is “the people behind that machine….preparing the best coffee for you”. She likes to do things differently and loves the fact that no two days are the same when you are one of the country’s leading coffee roasters.

Head of Coffee Culture at Bewley's Ltd @bewleysireland @juliamurray3144

Currently Head of Coffee Culture at Bewley's Ltd, she has been working in/with coffee for over 30 years - barista training, roasting, bar design, tenders, recruitment, and many other things in coffee. Judged for many years in IBC, events coordinator for the SCA Irish chapter last committee, coach for Wojciech Tysler the current Irish Barista Champion at WBC Athens this year - basically been on the coffee competition scene since attending the first WBC in Monte Carlo in 2000.

Co-owner of The Little Cactus @thelittlecactus_dublin

Co-owner of The Little Cactus. A speciality coffee shop in Stoneybatter Dublin.

Sustainability Manager at Calendar Coffee @calendar.coffee

Keith is the Sustainability Manager for Calendar Coffee, a roastery based in Galway. With nearly 20 years of experience in the coffee industry, he learned the ropes in a few 2nd wave cafés, learned the craft in a couple 3rd wave cafés and looks forward to focusing on a more sustainable industry with all of the future waves coming our way.

Founder of Viva Coffee Ltd @vivacoffeeltd

Lucas Sampaio, the visionary founder of Viva Coffee Ltd, whose journey begins in the heart of coffee rich Espirito Santo do Pinhal, Sao Paulo. With a childhood steeped in the traditions of this coffee haven, Lucas’s roots run deep in the coffee country. Lucas learned his craft by working in his family’s coffee business for 10 years before embarking on a new adventure, moving to Ireland in 2008.

It was in Ireland he uncovered untapped potential, to forge connections between coffee roasters and the farms who produce the coffee, bridging the gap from farm to cup. Lucas established Viva Coffee Ltd. in 2019. Fuelled by Lucas’s deep knowledge of coffee and his and his extensive network spanning Brazil’s coffee landscape, Viva Coffee Ltd has emerged as the definitive source for premium, ethically sourced, single-origin green coffee beans, exclusively tailored for Viva Coffee’s customers.

Lucas is very involved in the Coffee Community here in Ireland and has been the National Co-ordinator for the SCA – Irish Chapter since April 2021. The name ‘Viva Coffee’ is rooted in Lucas’s family ethos of living each day to its fullest, with every journey commencing with the ritual of good coffee. Viva!

Founder of Khipu Coffee @khipucoffee

Mark Russell is the the founder of Khipu Coffee, a green coffee exporter and importer of Peruvian coffee. Mark has sourced over 40+ Peruvian coffees and visited 8 coffee regions in Peru.

His relatively new journey into the coffee industry has been focussed into understanding the different approaches to coffee agriculture, coffee processing and building trusted relationships with coffee producers, cooperatives and associations.

Khipu Coffe is a family business between Mark and his cousin, Gonzalo, based in Lima, Peru. Gonzalo helps Mark export the coffee out of the Peru, while he focusses on sourcing high quality, sustainable coffee and working with roasters in the UK and Europe.

Account Manager at Badger and Dodo Boutique Coffee Roasters @badgeranddodo @mattcoade96

Matthew Coade has been part of the coffee industry for the past 9 years. He was the Head Barista in a coffee shop in Dublin for 4 years. He was also the Head trainer for Dublin Barista School for 2 years, and currently the Account Manager for Badger and Dodo Boutique Coffee Roasters and have been with them for 3 years.

He completed all SCA certs in barista as well as the SCA introduction to roasting and sensory courses. He has also been a competitor in Aeropress, the Brewers cup and Latte Art competitions over the years. And last year, he organised and hosted the Irish Aeropress Championships. This was a great opportunity for him to give back to the industry that he loves!

Finally, he was also asked at The Birmingham Coffee Festival to sit up with the judges as an additional judge for Extracted Development so he is already familiar with the competition format at The Dublin Coffee Festival.

Founder and Managing Director of Colonna coffee @mcolonnadashwood @colonnacoffee

Maxwell has been in coffee since 2007 and has enjoyed the opportunity to work across various aspects of the industry through his own projects and in collaboration with others.

He has been heavily involved in barista competitions, academic research and R&D. He has started and run multiple businesses in coffee.

His latest project is a book that studies the Business of Specialty coffee from farm to cup.

Green Buyer & Roaster at Bell Lane Coffee @nikolasunko @belllane_coffee

Nikola Sunko is a Green Buyer and Roaster for Bell Lane Coffee. A civil engineer turned to find his true calling in specialty coffee. Niko believes that questioning the status quo is key for pushing the boundaries and current beliefs.

Founder of Monks Coffee Roasters - Amsterdam @monks_coffee_roasters @patrickabbott

Born in Ireland, studied marketing, moved to Australia in the 80's, studied communications, film and television, worked in hospitality and opened a brew bar in Perth called Infusion in early 2000s.

Moved to Melbourne and worked with some industry professionals and got into roasting. Came to Amsterdam in 2012 and further developed his coffee skills and opened Monks Coffee roasters in 2016. Went to San Francisco and did a roasting masters workshop with Willem Boot and two years later they opened their roastery.

He’s had his own specialty coffee cafe here for over seven years now. They also run a training lab at the shop for all coffee skills both professional and home baristas, and within the cafe run a comprehensive hospitality skills course.

Marketing Executive at Bailies Coffee Roasters & part-time barista @campbell.rachelj

Rachel Campbell is a Marketing Executive for Bailies Coffee Roasters based in Belfast and a part-time Barista. She started out in the hospitality sector as a teenager, and throughout her time at University studying for a Geography degree. She first began working in Specialty Coffee in 2017, and have been working within the industry ever since.

Co-founder & Owner of Napoleon Coffee @napoleoncoffeebelfast @_seasew

Rachel Snowden is the co-founder and owner of Napoleon Coffee in Belfast, continuing a career spanning over a decade in the local specialty scene.

In July 2020, her journey came full circle with the opportunity to take over the lease on a space she previously managed. Situated in the Ormeau Baths - a historic Victorian Bathhouse, now co-working space - Napoleon provides a relaxing space within the business district, attracting a diverse customer base of city dwellers, coffee aficionados and office workers.

Rachel is passionate about supporting local independents and the Belfast coffee community. She has experienced the SCA Barista Competitions as both a competitor and later, a sensory judge.

Business Development Manager at McCabe's @renatamalyszko @mccabecoffee

Meet Renata Malyszko, a Senior Business Development Manager at McCabe's, where she combines her passion for coffee with her business knowledge.

Renata is not only an authorized SCA barista and sensory skills trainer but also a dedicated brewing skills and sensory analysis enthusiast. Since2014, she has been coaching and training individuals in the art of coffee.

In 2016, Renata achieved the prestigious certification of an international sensory judge for WCE, allowing her to travel and judge coffee competitions worldwide. Renata's commitment to excellence and her love for coffee make her an influential figure in the industry.

Home Barista @steamcoffee_ie

Rob have been in the coffee content creation business for over a year now and loves to talk about coffee!

Sales Representative at Caravela Coffee

Rory works for Caravela Coffee, a Latin American smallholder relationship focused exporter and importer. Rory has been in the industry for 6 years, starting his coffee journey in Colombia before moving back to the UK to work as a bridge between producers and roasters. Rory is passionate about traditional varieties, washed processes and drinking impactful coffee.

Coffee trader at Sucafina @sucafina_europe

Sam Langdon have been in the coffee industry now for a little under 18 years. He started out as a barista back in 2006 at the Tea and Coffee Plant (old school 90s Fairtrade/Organic punky/hippy coffee shop - still going and still his fav place to go and hang out for the vibe and locals) and quickly fell down the rabbit hole of coffee. The Coffee Plant had a roastery and bean counter which sold loose coffee to the public. Working there led to him moving to the roastery, mostly cos of a willingness to carry 60kg around a cold warehouse. From the Coffee Plant he moved to Fernandez and Wells and really got deep into the specialty side of our industry working as a barista and getting his head around the influx of new. At this time (2009/10) specialty coffee was crazy exciting. He was lucky to be around a lot of the people and in a lot of the places where stuff happened, mostly by accident but a beautiful one at that.

In 2010 with the forst wave of roasters Post SQM started setting up he started working for Caravan coffee roasters where he joined as a roaster and stayed until 2019. He did a ton of stuff at Caravan but most pertinently he headed up the roastery and was a key part of taking them from being a small local outfit roasting for restaurants to what they are more or less now. During that time he qualified as a Q Grader, worked independently for Finca Deborah as their inbound QC on panama geisha, roasted the coffees that contestants used for the London Coffee Masters for 3 years running, built Caravans direct buying program (covering Latin America, Asia and East africa) and was lucky enough to travel to most coffee producing countries through out that period as well as being one of the first wave of UK staff at Raw Material.

At Raw Material he mostly worked on sourcing and QC for the UK market as they built out the operations in Rwanda, Burundi and Colombia. His work with RM started in 2015, he left in 2019 when he took up his current job at Sucafina where he works as a trader buying and selling specialty coffee with a specific focus on Brazil and Uganda.

He is a jammy dude.

Founder of Shareclub @we.are.shareclub

Sarah is the founder of Shareclub, a digital circular packaging solution for events, corporate workplaces, and takeaways. Addressing the alarming environmental impact of single-use items, Shareclub was launched at the Circular Economy Hotspot Dublin in 2023.

Their shareware range includes reusable products such as cups and bowls, complemented by a user-friendly app facilitating seamless borrowing, returning, and tracking environmental impact. Shareclub empowers companies to stay ahead in sustainability reporting.

Recognised for their innovative approach, they have been shortlisted as Green Micro Enterprise of the Year at the Green Awards 2024, nominated for the Diversity in Tech Awards, and for Sustainable Startup at the National Startup Awards. Shareclub is proud to serve as the official reusable cup partner of the Dublin Coffee Festival.

Co-founder of Bell Lane Coffee @mrbeller @belllane_coffee

Stephen Bell, co-founder of Bell Lane Coffee, played a pivotal role in the establishment of the company in 2012, situated in Mullingar, Co Westmeath. With a keen eye for structuring business strategies, he orchestrated rapid growth for Bell Lane, propelling it to prominence within a short span.

Passionate about fostering transparent sourcing, open communication, and honest relationships, Bell Lane under Stephen's leadership prioritizes integrity in dealings with both coffee partners and producers.

As a qualified Q grader, Stephen brings a wealth of expertise to Bell Lane Coffee, contributing significantly to its ongoing success and acclaim in the industry.

Digital Marketing Coffee Freelancer @susiebootz

Susie Kealy is a digital marketing coffee freelancer. She has worked for Acaia on their marketing team for the last five years and in the coffee industry for more than 10. She currently lives in Dublin, Ireland.

General Manager at Velo @casey_2403 @velocoffeeroasters

Suzanne has been working in the coffee industry since 2016 when she moved to Ireland and began working in a café. Her background was in biology and winemaking, but after moving from the US she found a love of coffee.

She worked her way up through the café and was the manager when the owner began roasting his coffee in 2018, Velo Coffee Roasters. He sold the café in 2020 and Suzanne moved over the roastery where she ran the e-commerce website and marketing. As Velo grew, she grew into her role becoming the General Manager of the business.

She now works closely with all aspects of the business from sourcing and production, sales and marketing and projects. Most recently, she spearheaded Velo’s B Corp certification. She’s excited to continue on the sustainability journey and help people and the planet one coffee at a time.

Co-founder of Calendar Coffee @calendar.coffee

Zarah Lawless is the co-founder of Calendar Coffee based in Galway and she's on a mission to build a coffee company for the future!

Roaster & Quality Controller at Bailies Coffee Roasters @eilis_barrett @bailiescoffee

Eilís started working in coffee back in 2018 when she got her first barista job in a small takeaway café in Galway. An obsessive by nature, she quickly fell in love with the technical side of coffee, driving her to discover speciality and pursue a career in the industry.

She started her first roastery job in 2020, which opened up an entirely new rabbit hole to fall into as she learned about the world of green coffee and roasting.

Now based in Belfast, she works in roasting and QC for Bailies Coffee Roasters, spending her free time exploring interesting new coffees and finding likeminded coffee nerds to connect with.

Quality Consultant for Java Republic @java.republic @alvarezluisf

With over 10 years of experience in the coffee industry in Ireland, Luis Alvarez has entered competitions such as Latte Art, Barista, Brewers, Cupping and Aeropress. In 2017 his 1st origin trip was to Colombia, and in 2020 he had the opportunity to visit Costa Rica.

Certified AST, coffee consultant and overall passionate about coffee training, Luis has become a recognisable name within the local coffee community. He has worked as a Training Manager for Dublin Barista School and currently works as a Quality Consultant for Java Republic.

He also ventured into the judging world, and had the opportunity to judge the Irish Brewers Cup a couple of times. Other passions include, being a whiskey connoisseur, gym addict, travel enthusiast and an amateur movie critic.

Founder of Los Cafes del Arriero @rogerg_zapata @los_cafes_del_arriero

Originally from Colombia, Roger’s expertise spans the coffee supply chain, from roles as a green coffee buyer and certified Q Arabica Grader to a professional coffee roaster, barista, and barista trainer.

He founded Los Cafes del Arriero (LCDA), where he both sourced high-quality green coffee beans and represent Colombian coffee farmers in the European market. One of Roger’s proudest moments was earning a third-place finish in the Cup Tasters Championship in 2020.

His passion doesn't stop at just making and sourcing coffee; Roger is deeply committed to sharing knowledge about coffee with people, aiming to elevate their coffee experience. He’s not just in the coffee business; Roger is in the business of enriching lives through coffee.