About Erika Vonie: “I took my first coffee job in 2005, as a way to help pay for living expenses during film school. It was definitely a “second wave” style cafe, complete an extensive menu of lattes named after candy bars all loaded up with different syrups. It was there that I fell in love with coffee and cafe culture, and my career began. Fourteen years later, I have grown from my beginnings as a barista, through cafe management, QC implementation, green buying, green selling, and all the way into the tech world of coffee subscriptions. I competed for years in addition to my shift work, gaining knowledge about coffee production, processing and hospitality as well as it opening up my world to an entire network of coffee professionals. As my desire to understand the nuances of green coffee production and the impact roasting has on our sensory perception grew, I achieved my Q Arabica Grader Certification and began creating QC programs from the ground up. My thirst for the stories of the people that connect the supply chain sent me on a journey to understand the global financial network behind coffee, and the intricacies of green coffee trading. As my network of professionals continued to expand, and my skillsets grew, I was tapped for consulting work in China, and for equipment companies all over the United States. My work in the tech realm gave me valuable insight into consumer preference as well as propelled me into a world of digital content creation, and customer facing media channels.
Throughout my nearly 15-year career, one thing has been made more clear to me than anything. It’s never just about coffee, this is about people. Coffee is a global connector of everyone on this planet, whether you drink it or not. I am uniquely positioned, from the experiences I’ve had and the network I’ve cultivated, to continue to connect people through coffee. It’s time I use my decade and a half of experience and give that knowledge back to coffee professionals and coffee drinkers of all walks of life. I don’t believe you have to be an expert to enjoy, understand and make excellent coffee. However, if you want to be, I can take you there.”For more information click here
