CEL Mentors
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Conley Ku (BA ’23)-Program Coordinator
Conley joined the Coffee Equity Lab as a student in 2021 as part of his Immersion Vanderbilt programming, and has been hooked on coffee (physiologically and intellectually) ever since. His undergraduate backgrounds in Economics and History prepared him to engage with coffee’s colonial legacy in social, environmental, and economic contexts, which he aims to study further in a graduate capacity. His work with students is founded upon his passions for holistic justice in the coffee value chain and realizing personal purpose in undergraduate education.
Brandon Bir
Brandon Bir is a coffee and sustainability professional with a passion for equality and international community development. When not traveling to coffee-growing countries to teach classes focused on quality and sensory science or working towards zero waste at the SCA Campus in Columbus, Bir can be found representing CrimsonCup speaking to students at universities and events around the world.
In his role as Director of Sustainability, Bir develops new sustainable practices for all professionals on the valuechain in coffee. Brandon is a certified Assistant Q-instructor, SCA Content Creator, and holds a master’s from the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Taya Brown
Dr. Taya Brown is an agronomist and participatory researcher with special focus on smallholder coffee production systems. She lived with smallholder coffee farmers in Guatemala for the better part of seven years and has studied adoption of innovation and profitability across Central America. She has collaborated with large and small coffee farmers, roasters, importers, and with organizations such as SCA, CQI, WCR, Anacafé, Starbucks Foundation, and Dunkin’. Taya is happiest when mentoring the next generation of coffee professionals and facilitating cross-cultural educational exchange and capacity building. She is cofounder of a nonprofit organization called the Del Fuego Project that supports education across the coffee supply chain and has hosted many educational events designed to put roasters and other coffee enthusiasts in direct contact with farmers for candid discussion on important topics. Taya is currently carrying out a postdoc position with the USDA-ARS in Hilo, Hawaii, focused on identifying cultural management of leaf rust to help maintain farm profitability in the presence of rust.
Vera Espíndola Rafael
Vera is a Development Economist with a focus on farmer resilience & farmer livelihoods. She currently leads the Strategic Initiatives of export company Azahar Coffee, specifically the cost of production research behind “A Sustainable Coffee Buyer’s Guide,” a pricing tool, and leads the export operations in Mexico. As an advisor for the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture, she focuses on specific coffee-related activities such as living and prosperous income. Since 2016, she has been part of the Mexican delegation for the International Coffee Organization.
She is an active volunteer for the Specialty Coffee Association, served on the 2015-2018 Sustainability Council and the 2019-2022 Board, and is a current Coffee Value Assessment Ambassador. She served on the Board of US-based NGO The Chain Collaborative in 2022 and 2023. Her publication has focused on creating market strategies for producing countries; “A Business Case to Increase Specialty Coffee Consumption in Producing Countries” and IICA on “El Mercado del Café en la región Mesoamericana.”
Her work started analyzing agricultural supply chains while working at the research arm of ANACAFE, from where she continued to work at UTZ Certified, leading the coffee and cocoa program globally and then focused on LatinAmerica. From 2016 to 2018, Vera collaborated with the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture on the national coffee renovation plan, with an average investment of 70 million USD.
Susan Heller Evenson
Susan Heller Evenson is Atlas Coffee Importers’ trader for Africa and mainland Asia (India, Myanmar, and Laos), with a focus on strengthening relationships between Atlas’ specialty coffee producer partners and North American coffee roasters.
She is particularly interested in the complexities of coffee logistics, and is an Excel nerd and certified Q Arabica grader. Susan lives in Seattle with her family, and when not cupping/trading coffee for work she can be found drinking it in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
David Lalonde
David is the founder, roaster and buyer of Rabbit Hole Roasters based in Montreal, Canada.
Although taste is very important, his focus has shifted to trying to have a more meaningful impact at origin by committing to farmers in a way that brings them stability and a living income, harvest after harvest.
David likes to dedicate his time to studying various aspects of social justice and connect those issues to the coffee industry.
Lane Mitchell
I serve coffee by creating relationship-driven success and product innovation with sustainability at its core.
As a relationship manager at Carrboro Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee consultant and coffee quality expert, I am honored to share my insights and expertise as a keynote speaker and moderator at international coffee conferences such as the Specialty Coffee Expo and CoffeeFest. I serve as an advisor and mentor at the Coffee Equity Lab at Vanderbilt University and Emory University’s Specialty Coffee Programs. I also serve as a Judge for the US Barista Championships, the US Coffee in Good Spirits Championships and the Cup of Excellence. I am a member of the Specialty Coffee Association and co-founder of Coffee People Collective.
Julie Housh
Julie currently serves as Education, Research, and Development Director at Carvela Coffee.
Julie is an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) for Sustainability, Barista, and Brewing. Prior to joining Caravela, she worked in the Sustainability and Knowledge Development Department of the SCA, supporting a variety ofsustainability and educational projects and events, including the Price Crisis Response Initiative (2019).
Jenn Rugolo
Jenn Rugolo is curator and editor focused on communicating complex ideas in specialty coffee through a wide variety of mediums. Perpetually curious about how people create culture and belonging through different activities, Jenn holds a Bachelors of Music Ad Hoc (Northwestern University) and a Masters of Arts inEthnomusicology (University College Cork). Before taking on her current role as Curatorial Director at the Specialty Coffee Association, Jenn worked to design and run casual educational platforms across roles at 3FE, World Coffee Events, Facebook, and Tamper Tantrum.
Concurrently a partner in Playset Coffee, Jenn spends her “free time” supporting progress in specialty coffee through projects that embrace collaborative learning and sharing.
Right now, Jenn’s work is predominantly focused on the SCA’s evolution of the 2004 cupping system into a holistic system to assess coffee value, recognizing intrinsic and extrinsic attributes across four separate assessments, as well as the SCA’s Sustainable Coffee Agenda, which adopts a systems change approach inaddressing equitable value distribution across the sector.
Jose Pablo Juárez S. ( JP )
With over 20 years of international experience, JP is a recognized leader in the coffee industry, specializing in quality control, sustainability, and coffee sensory evaluation. His expertise covers the entire coffee value chain—from production and export to roasting and café management. JP has contributed to shaping industry standards and driving sustainability across global markets. He holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence (ZHAW, Switzerland, 2024), Q Arabica Grader Certification, (5 continuous terms, Coffee Quality Institute), and Professional certifications in Sensory Skills, Roasting, and Brewing (Specialty Coffee Association, 2020-2021). JP has served as International Head Judge at Fairtrade Golden Cup events in Central America, Peru, and Colombia, and led his team to victory at the Shapeshifter Roasting Challenge at Coffee Roaster Guild Retreat (Wisconsin, 2022). He was also part of the SCA Taskforce that validated the white paper “The Value of Specialty Coffee Cuppers” (2023). JP is currently full-time at Zaza Coffee in Florida, overseeing coffee quality, operations and innovations. Previously, he served as Head Coffee Advisor for the company (2018-2023). He is also a mentor in the NCA Next Gen Mentorship Program (since 2024). His philosophy is that “Coffee is a complex intersection of science, sustainability, and human connection. My mission is to elevate coffee quality, foster innovation, and mentor the next generation of professionals in the industry.”
Scott Conary
As the creator of award-winning Café’s & a Roastery in Chapel Hill, NC, Scott has been a leader in the coffee industry for the last 25+ years. He is an active educator in many disciplines and strives to build and enhance economic platforms around the world. He has worked with international organizations to further support the industry and key stakeholders in developing best practices and sustainability. His ability to develop long standing international relationships aids in furthering the positive forward movement in the industry, and allows for opportunities to be on the cutting edge of innovation. He has served as a WCE Representative, trainer and Certified Head Judge for the WCE World Coffee Championships for the last 20+ years. Scott trains professionals as a consultant internationally, and has been an ACE/COE Head Judge & Instructor since 2015.
Dr. Erika Koss
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Erika Koss is writer, educator, and researcher with a special focus on sustainability and gender equity of beverage crops such as coffee, tea, & cacao. She lives in Nairobi, Kenya, where she founded her educational and research business, A World in Your Cup Consulting. She is a SCA Authorized Specialty Coffee Trainer in Sensory Skills and Sustainability, a national barista judge, and a co-creator of the SCA Sustainability curriculum.
Dr. Koss has taught literature, writing, and politics at several universities in North America; in 2024, she launched her Gender in Coffee course, focused on the historic discrimination and ongoing challenges for women in coffee. Dr. Koss is a regular contributor to several coffee publications and a speaker at coffee events.
She is working on her first book. To learn more about her writing, teaching schedule, or travel, follow her Substack newsletter: https://erikakoss.substack.com or on Instagram @aworldinyourcup.
Alexa Romano
Alexa Romano is a social and cultural anthropologist specializing in consumer behavior research and deep relationship building across the nonprofit and higher education sectors. Her graduate research at Stanford University explores relational ethics between Costa Rican coffee production and US Bay Area coffee consumption. Romano’s work examines the complex relationships that reveal conceptions on the social production of equity between consumers and producers. Her work frames the understanding labor and ethical practices involved in coffee production to enact meaningful change within the industry. Ethnographic, photographic, and qualitative methods ground her approach.
Melanie Herrera
Melanie’s passion for agriculture began at ENCA (National Agricultural School), sparking a journey that led her to Zamorano University and eventually to the vibrant world of coffee. In 2012, she joined the team at Bella Vista Mill in Guatemala, where she still thrives today. From production to marketing, Melanie has immersed herself in every aspect of the coffee industry, constantly learning and growing along the way. At Bella Vista, she wears many hats:
- Green Coffee Sales
- Customer Relationship Management
- Supporting Small Producer Chains
- Quality Control Assistant
- Regenerative Agriculture, Soil Health and their importance for human wellness
Her journey reflects a deep commitment to coffee, farmers, and the continuous pursuit of excellence. Every cup tells a story—and Melanie is part of that story.
Stephanie Alcala
Stephanie Alcala’s coffee journey began as a barista while studying Environmental Science and Business Administration at Whittier College. Her part-time work sparked a deep interest in the role environmental stewardship plays in fostering sustainable and responsible business practices. After earning her B.A., she pursued an M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan, where her thesis focused on the genetic diversity of a specialty coffee variety in Panama. This research strengthened her passion for sustainable agriculture and economic development. Stephanie returned to Whittier College as an adjunct professor, where she developed and taught a course on sustainable coffee supply chains. Now a recurring elective, the course reflects her dedication to education and her commitment to empowering the next generation of coffee professionals. Currently, Stephanie serves as a coffee trader and sustainability liaison at RGC Coffee, a green coffee importing company dedicated to sustainable business practices. In her role, she fosters the growth of sustainable coffee supply chains, leveraging coffee as a vehicle for positive community impact. Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family, biking, cooking, and exploring the natural world.