Willem
Boot founded Boot Coffee Consulting in 1999 with the basic
goal to improve quality throughout the coffee industry.
He roasted his first batch of coffee at the age of 14
and obtained a masters-degree in business economics at
the University of Amsterdam. During the 1990's Willem
was co-owner of the family's coffee company "The
Golden Coffee Box" which is now a leading specialty
business in The Netherlands. As a quality consultant and
cupper, Willem has been managing various coffee development
programs in countries like Ethiopia, El Salvador, Colombia,
Panama and Papua New Guinea. He has been a lead trainer
at the "Q" Grading and Cupping program and at
many international roasting and cupping courses. He was
head judge for Cup of Excellence in Honduras and Nicaragua.
Every year he donates at least one month of his time to
non-profit causes. Willem co-founded ECAFE foundation
and he completed many assignments for the Coffee Corps.
In 2006, he planted the first Geisha tree at his coffee
farm in Panama; the first crop is expected in 2010.
Roukiat Delrue
"Bumped" into the coffee industry about 5 years
ago, as an interpreter, while working for a group of coffee
producers from Rwanda visiting Guatemala. Loved coffee
so much that after obtaining a degree in Business Administration
and specializing in International Business, joined the
Guatemala National Coffee Association. After that, completed
several assignments as a coffee corps volunteer in countries
such as Colombia and Ethiopia. Work mostly as a barista
trainer and judge and help coordinate several competition
in different countries (Guatemala, Colombia, Ethiopia,
Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua...). Station Instructor
for a spanish espresso lab at the Specialty Coffee Association
of America Convention and current Regional Coordinator
for America for WBC. Several published articles in Barista
Magazine. International Observer for the 2008 CoE in Guatemala.
Daniel
Humphries
Daniel
Humphries got his start in the specialty coffee industry
working as a barista in his hometown of Seattle, Washington.
Since
2004, he has worked as a barista trainer and public education
specialist in Seattle and New York City. Daniel has hosted
numerous
public cuppings, coffee education classes, and barista
lessons, both
private and commercial. He has been a presenter at the
annual
Specialty Coffee Association of America convention, placed
in the
Northwest and Northeast Regional Barista Competitions,
and is the
founder of the New York Coffee Society, a club for coffee
connoisseurs and professionals in NYC.
K.C. O’Keefe
K.C. O’Keefe was introduced to the coffee industry
in 1997 when he developed a friendship with coffee farmers
in Northern Peru. Soon afterward K.C. co-founded Jungle
Tech, a Peruvian specialty coffee export/import company.
He is a founding member and current president of the Sustainable
Coffee Institute of Peru. K.C. has served as a cupping
judge on numerous occasions, as well as leading the Peruvian
National Quality Competition. His international consulting
has primarily revolved around origin development and quality
control, with a particular passion for cupping and education.
K.C. is an active member of the Roasters Guild and resides
in Lima Peru
Daniel Mulu
Daniel
Mulu is an Ethiopian native and a ‘tree to cup’
coffee specialist with a graduate degree of the Jimma
Agricultural University, specializing in plant science,
with a special focus on the production of coffee, tea
and spices. He is currently studying BSc Business Administration
at the University of London. His career started as a
cupper for the Ethiopian Coffee Board. As a consultant,
Daniel has been working with Starbucks as a Café
Practices inspector and he also worked for the German
certification company CERES, the Eastern African Fine
Coffees Association (EAFCA), and Kraft Foods/Taloca's
Representative office in Ethiopia. Over the past years,
Daniel completed various assignments for the Coffee
Corps, the volunteer organization of the Coffee Quality
Institute (CQI) and he was a judge in various national
coffee tasting events. At Boot Coffee, Daniel is responsible
for the “Q” grading and cupping program
which is implemented in Ethiopia. He also coordinates
the “2008 Ethiopia Limited” competition
and auction.
Patricia Valiente
Patricia Valiente obtained her Business Administration
degree at the University of San Francisco, California.
She is a 4th generation coffee producer. She has worked
as a consultant with the Salvadoran Coffee Council Coordinating
events such as: El Salvador participation in SINTERCAFE,
the Cup of Excellence for 2003 and 2004.
She organized the Women in Coffee Tour in El Salvador
for the WIC Alliance Inc. and is manager for the Itzalco
Specialty Coffee Association. She has worked as logistic
consultant for World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO).
She is President of Sociedad Agrícola Tres Águilas
and she is a founder and board member of a cultural foundation
Fundación Cultural Los 44.
Andi C. Trindle
Andi C. Trindle has been in the coffee industry for 16
years. Andi's varied background within the industry began
part-time behind the espresso bar and includes cupping,
training, green coffee importing, sales, and marketing.
Andi has lectured on many aspects of the specialty coffee
industry and taught numerous espresso and cupping workshops
both nationally and internationally.
Ratibor Hartmann
Ratibor Hartmann is a coffee growing and processing expert.
The Hartmann's own a well known farm and processing mill
in Santa Clara, Panama. Finca Hartmann is one of the leading
specialty sustainable coffee growers and processors in
Panama. Ratibor's key areas of expertise include: sustainable
coffee farming, design of specialty coffee processing
stations, quality upgrading at the farm and quality improvement
at the processing mill. In addition, Ratibor Hartmann
has more than 6 years experience as a coffee cupper. His
experience includes a 20+ year track record at his family
farm and mill in Santa Clara, Panama and various development
projects in Bolivia and Colombi
