My Favorite Coffee Story: Recent Episodes
Aniko Somogyi, of Anikona Farm 100% Kona Coffee
The My Favorite Coffee Story Show is about the “stories” that define people’s lives and value system, often shared over a cup of coffee. If you have a treasured memory from your past, if you are a mom or daughter, friend, casual acquaintance or just like a moment alone in a beautiful setting where they share over a cup of anything, usually coffee, then our show is just for you! We will cover special one on one moments, coffee history, coffee health benefits, recipes, great coffee houses of the world, coffee movie moments and stories of how the coffee phenomena permeates all of our lives in some way.
Our special guest Maria Esther Lopez-Thome will be sharing her incredible story, how coffee helped her reinvent herself. We'll learn about Maria Esther's twenty year career as a lawyer in Venezuela and then how she decided to spend all of her time focusing on coffee as a trainer, barista and attending coffee events while learning more about specialty coffee. We can't wait to hear the inspiring stories how coffee brought hope, smiles and dreams and how she decided to setup Cafe Registrado in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2015.
We're having such an amazing show with our special New Zealand guest, David Downs, who has been a standup comedian, an author, a keynote speaker, a Microsoft Director and a General Manager at New Zealand Trade & Enterprise. He is also a cancer survivor and has an incredible story to share. We'll highlight some favorite coffee stories in between and we'll learn how we can choose our reactions no matter what the circumstance. David is such an inspiring example how the power of positivity and some laughter can make a big difference.
There are a lot of exciting things brewing at The Icehouse and Ice Angels in New Zealand and it's more than just great specialty coffee. Robbie Paul, CEO of Ice Angels, the largest and most active angel investment network in Australasia, joins us to share stories about the hot New Zealand startup community. Members of the Ice Angels have collectively invested more than $85m into 145 companies representing a range of industries. We'll learn about some of the recent startup trends and how coffee weaves through New Zealand's tech community and culture.
Producing Bon Mua coffee starts out in Vietnam's Daklak Province, where Lan Nguyen has been tending to his family coffee farm since 1978. Lan's daughter, Lan Marberry who manages Bon Mua Oregon Coffee, will be joining us to share favorite coffee stories about their family coffee farm and how her father was one of the very first coffee growers in southwest Vietnam. We'll find out about growing Robusta and Arabica coffee and how the question Do you know who has been drinking our coffee? posed by Marberry's father inspired the start of Bon Mua Oregon coffee company.
We've enjoyed sharing favorite coffee stories and personal journeys during the past year. We'll take a look at some of the life stories and lessons from inspiring guests around the world. Some of our favorite stories involve helping our communities, helping the environment and taking moments to reflect on what's important in life, often over a cup of coffee. We've learned about so many interesting and important topics ranging from cancer research, helping children, nutrition, sustainability, Saudi coffee, red espresso tea, coffee flour, craft beer and wine, Starbucks early days and Peet's Coffee, Stumptown Coffee, Fundamental Coffee, petroleum engineering, Ivar's story, the food industry, wildfires, mindful living, etc...just to name a few. We're so glad you've been part of My Favorite Coffee Story and hope you'll join us as we talk about the year in review and how we developed our interest in coffee at Anikona Farm.
What is it like being a coffee barista and winning the World Barista Championship? We are sharing favorite coffee stories with 2018 World Barista Champion, Agnieszka Rojewska. We'll learn about how Agnieszka won the championship to become the first woman to win the competition in its 19 year history. Agnieszka says it's important to be yourself and don?t give up. We can't wait to hear more about her inspiring stories and how she was true to herself, patient and learned from all her experiences.
Michelle Pfennighaus, well-known Nutrition and Health Coach, will be sharing how positive change in our lives is within reach! She helps thousands of clients around the world to achieve balance and re-invent their relationship with food...and themselves. We can't wait to hear about Michelle's personal health discoveries, the moderation mantra she promotes...and about her favorite decaf cold brew iced coffee. Michelle will share how she cuts through the clutter of nutrition information and helps women improve their over-worked, over-stressed lives. It doesn't have to be complicated to lose weight, gain energy, overcome chronic conditions and start feeling like ourselves again.
We have an amazing show with special guest Jerry James Stone, a food blogger, chef and internet personality known for simple gourmet recipes. We'll chat about the sustainable food and wine movement, Jerry James' cookbooks as well as his food blog, Cooking Stoned (it's a play off his last name, no one is stoned). Jerry James Stone also offers online cooking classes on Facebook and shares easy and delicious vegan and vegetarian recipes via his popular YouTube videos. One of our favorite recipes is the coffee and black bean brownie recipe! We can't wait to learn more about Jerry James Stone's latest projects and how he also develops recipes for Discovery Channel, Whole Foods Market and KQED's Bay Area Bites.
We're sharing inspiring stories about energy and petroleum engineering with our guest John Moltz, Petroleum Engineer. We'll hear about some of the important consulting projects John is working on to help oil, gas, petrochemical and mining companies create abundant and future energy resources domestically and internationally. Coffee often is described as a fuel, so we'll weave in favorite coffee stories too!
Our work can at times be stressful, but there are ways to help ourselves to be on the path of happiness. We're sharing stories about mindfulness in the workplace, mindful development of technology and the power of presence in leadership. Melissa Sutor, well-known mindfulness teacher, keynote speaker and corporate consultant will be joining us to share her insights and how we can transform our work experiences while making the world a better place. We'll weave in some favorite coffee stories and how getting together over a cup of coffee and tea is a great way to connect with ourselves and with others.
Grab a cup and join us as we talk about what you need to know about wildfires with Elizabeth Pickett, Executive Director of Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, HWMO. Did you know embers from a wildfire can ignite a home up to one mile away? And did you know 99% of wildfires in Hawaii are started by people, both by accident and arson?
Elizabeth will be sharing insights into the cause and prevention of wildfires and how her organization has helped Hawaiian communities and the Pacific region to protect precious resources. HWMO informs people across the state about current fire and drought conditions as well as provides information and education to help protect life and property from wildfires. We are grateful to all the firefighters and we'll also ask about the notion that firefighters love their coffee.
Robert Rosell and Patricia McDermott Rosell are sharing amazing trekking and travel stories...and some of the unique places they've had a good cup of coffee. From Morocco to Chamonix Mont Blanc, Pat and Robert have had such an incredible personal and trekking journey. We'll hear about how they've produced award-winning videos as part of their company Quality Media Resources - The Respectful Workplace Company and about the books Robert has authored, Virtually Yours, Jonathan Newman and Civitas Island - The Birth of Hope. Robert also wrote Getting Past Getting Lucky which is about making life's most important relationship decision. We look forward to hearing about Robert and Patricia's upcoming treks and projects, while sharing their favorite coffee stories along the way.
We can't wait to hear about the award winning beverage Red Espresso, South Africa's much loved red cappucino. As the world's first red rooibos tea espresso, it is caffeine free and loaded with antioxidants. Monique and Pete Ethelston, Co-founders of Red Espresso, are joining us from South Africa to share how they started Red Espresso, what it's like living in South Africa, how they team up with red rooibos farmers and practice fair trade. They have been giving back to the community in so many ways while creating a healthy fancy cool espresso beverage.
It's interesting to learn about stem cell research and all the amazing things happening in this area. Scientists often find themselves in the lab and at meetings where coffee keeps them fueled. We're sharing favorite coffee stories with noted stem cell researcher, Dr. Suzanne Peterson. We are delighted to have Dr. Peterson talk about all the exciting progress happening in this area...and how coffee might play a role. We could say, that a lot 'stems' from coffee in the field of science. We'll find out more from Dr. Peterson as we hear about what's hot in biology.
We'll be sharing fun and inspiring stories with Owner and Master Brewer David Skiba about No Boat Brewing Company's fantastic hand-crafted brews in Snoqualmie Washington near Seattle. We'll talk about how David became involved in viticulture and then when on to pursue a dream to create No Boat Brewing Company and their incredible brews like Snoqualmie Maybe Pale Ale, Mozzie IPA, Illuminaughty Simcoe DIPA, My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Oatmeal Milk Stout and the Bia Hoi Vietnamese Lager. We can't wait to hear about their Coffee and Cream Ale, along with their tremendous care in the process and sourcing of ingredients. Please join us as we brew up stories!
We'll discover how performing artists are the imagination mavericks, creative pioneers, and shamans of today. We'll be chatting with Bestselling Author and Creativity Coach, Holly Shaw, about how artists and performers take us on an emotional journey and often heal audiences and themselves. We'll find out more about why artists are today's Shamans and what brings out their creativity. We can't wait to ask Holly about her favorite coffee stories and how coffee might play a role in an artist's world.
We're sharing favorite coffee stories with our special guest and Wine Enthusiast Contributing Travel Editor, Lauren Mowery, J.D., D.W.S.
Lauren regularly writes about wine, food, and travel for Forbes and USA Today. We are excited to share coffee stories with Lauren as she has travelled to more than two dozen countries in the last few years. Wine and coffee have so many things in common... we'll get an inside look into some of the similarities and how their delicious flavors enhance our lives every day.
Helena Diez-Fuentes, Professional Event Energizer, Moderator, Interviewer and Presenter will share with us the secrets to bringing energy and passion to presentations. We'll explore how events can become engaging and memorable, what are important communication skills and how to work with the audience. We can't wait to hear about how Helena has been the ultimate Master of Ceremonies for many company events and how she became an experienced presenter, moderator and speaker. We'll also learn about the preparation that goes into a flawless presentation along with some of Helena's favorite coffee stories during events and travels.
This week we're sharing favorite coffee stories with Dr. Benjamin Anderson. We are excited to hear about the latest technology in medicine, the advances in breast cancer research as well as the current projects in global health medicine. Specializing in breast cancer surgery, Dr. Anderson travels the world speaking at global health conferences and sharing his expertise. Most recently, Dr. Anderson received the 2013 Inspiration Award by the National Coalition of Breast Centers (NCBC) in recognition of his dedicated efforts to improve breast cancer quality of care around the globe. During Dr. Anderson's travels, we'll explore some of his favorite coffee stories. We'll also have the opportunity to ask about the possible health benefits of coffee recently highlighted in the news.
We're sharing coffee moments with good friend Luis Mejia. Luis is CEO of VoterCapital.org and most recently was Associate Director at Stanford University Office of Technology Licensing. We'll hear about about the famous Google Moment, what it was like working at Stanford University's Office of Technology Licensing, what it's like living in Silicon Valley and about Luis' current projects. It's always so wonderful to catch up with friends over a good cup of coffee.
We're talking about coffee as a community with Founder and General Manager of Crema.co, Emily McIntyre. Based in Portland OR, Crema.co is the coffee marketplace that connects coffee drinkers with farmers and roasters. We'll hear about inspiring stories when Emily lived in Ethiopia, as well as, how Crema.co empowers coffee farmers, roasters and drinkers to truly live well. As they say at Crema.co, coffee touches millions of lives from cloud forests to office cubes...coffee spans the world.
At Stumptown Coffee Roasters based in Portland Oregon, drinking coffee is about pleasure. They make sure that every sip is perfect by carefully tasting, roasting and sourcing. We'll be sharing favorite coffee stories with Mallory Pilcher, Marketing Director at Stumptown Coffee Roasters. We'll be learning about the team and their mission at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and how they strive to bring pleasure to coffee drinkers. We also can't wait to find out more about The Green Team and how they source the perfect beans.
Ever wonder what it takes to produce a live internet radio show. We're going behind the scenes with Senior Executive Producer at VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network, Robert Ciolino. We'll be coming to you LIVE from the Digital Hollywood Event in Los Angeles, a trade conference that covers the fields of film, television, music, home, video, cable, telecommunications and computer industries. We can't wait to hear about what makes VoiceAmerica the leading network for original internet talk radio. There might even be special guest appearances by Ryan Treasure VP of Broadcast Operations, Randall Libero Senior Executive Producer and Jeff Spenard President, Internet Radio Division. Please join us for our behind the scenes look at radio... and coffee.
Brian William's blog, Brian's Coffee Spot, exists to share his love of all things coffee. Brian has a passion for great coffee and great places to drink coffee. His aim is to write about all the great Coffee Spots he's been to around the world and to encourage others to try them as well!
Brian has been to all the places he writes about and likes them for one reason or another. Brian notes that what makes a place special isn't just great coffee, it's also the atmosphere and attitude...and plenty of cake helps too. We'll hear about Brian's US travels, as well as travels to Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and China.
In the early 2000s, Hawaii Island's Kā‘u coffee began proudly showing its strength in cupping events worldwide with a number of small farms in Kā‘u garnering awards. We'll be sharing favorite coffee stories about Kā‘u coffee with Louis Daniele, Sales and Marketing Manager for Kā‘u Coffee Mill on the Big Island of Hawaii.
We'll learn about the history of Kā‘u coffee and how the climate, elevation, ash-based soil, amount of rain and sun have helped create a delicious specialty coffee in the Kā‘u region of Hawaii Island. We'll talk about the importance of hand-picking the coffee beans at their perfect red cherry ripeness, then processing and roasting with a lot of care and sustainability in mind.
To celebrate delicious Kā‘u coffee, the first Kā‘u Coffee Festival was successfully launched in 2009. We can't wait to hear about this year's Festival and how it continues to demonstrate coffee to be a tradition of agriculture extending Kā‘u into a promising economic and ecologic future.
Coffee has been a big part of Bruce Friedrich's life. He ran a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Washington DC from 1990 to 1996, where they would drive twice a week to all areas to serve coffee and sandwiches to homeless out of their van.
Currently, Bruce is involved with The Good Food Institute in Washington DC as Co-Founder & Executive Director. We'll learn about the Clean Meat movement, food innovation and about all the great things The Good Food Institute is doing. Since Bruce travels frequently, he says coffee cafes like Starbucks can provide good workspaces and good coffee, and are usually close to where he's staying.
When Dr. William Boegel and his wife Diane visited Guatemala for Dr. Will's 50th birthday, their lives changed forever. As medical missionaries, they decided to buy a farm they visited to support the area's children who were in much need of care and education. It has been more than ten years since Dr. Will and Diane co-founded Opal House, their organic farm with 1000 coffee trees and various fruits and vegetables to help the local children with their spiritual education, development of character and their medical care. With 15-20 children living at Opal House on the farm, Dr. Will and Diane try to respond to needs and very large problems by being a neighbor. It's about living a life of service, helping the children of Guatemala.
The Big Island of Hawaii has treasured traditions including Hula, Music and Agriculture. We'll share wonderful stories about Hawaii's culture with our guest Kea Keolanui, whose family farm OK Farms in Hilo Hawaii grows coffee, macadamia nuts and various Hawaiian fruits.
We'll also talk about the world famous Hula event on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Merrie Monarch festival which just celebrated its 55th festival this month. The Merrie Monarch festival strives to ensure the vibrancy of Hawaiian culture for future generations through the revitalization of cultural practices.
Physics and coffee often go hand in hand. Physicists tend to demonstrate physics principles through a cup of coffee or require a cup of coffee to get them fueled for their experiments. There is a close relationship between coffee and physics, and we'll be exploring this relationship with our very special guest and physicist, Daniel Refy in Hungary. We'll share fun physics stories and we'll talk about how coffee plays a role. We'll also learn about some of the interesting research projects being conducted at Wigner Fusion.
We often have such busy days when it is sometimes not easy to slow down, take a moment to reflect, have a nice chat with family or friends, relax and share moments over a good cup of coffee or tea. We're taking a moment with our special guest, Maureen Thompson, to talk about how sharing stories and spending time together can really make a difference in our well-being. Maureen has been counseling people about the importance of connecting with each other and taking time to listen and share. We will learn how Maureen helps others work through deeper life questions and how they can turn their experiences into positive learning. We can't wait to hear more about Maureen's inspiring life story.
We're sharing favorite coffee stories with Charlie Kindel, who leads product development for Smart Home capabilities of Alexa, the voice service that powers Amazon Echo and other services. We'll learn about Charlie's interest in home automation, some of his favorite projects, his favorite coffee cafes around the world and possibly even how Alexa might order coffee.
Please join us as we talk about voice being the natural user interface and what might be some of Charlie's dreams for the future of technology in the home. We'll also get a glimpse into some of Charlie's favorite hobbies and how he balances time during his busy days.
We have a twist on the coffee berry today, we're sharing stories about a berry with another spirit! Dr. Molly E. Cummings, a biology professor at the University of Texas, is sharing inspiring stories about foraging for Juniper berries to make the perfect gin at District Distilling Company in Washington D.C. We can't wait to hear about WildJuneGin made from wild red juniper berries harvested in western Texas by Molly who is also co-owner at District-Distilling Company. Most gins are distilled with Common Juniper, the shrub that produces little blue berries, but District-Distilling wanted to make a uniquely American gin with a greater diversity of palatable juniper species such as Alligator Juniper also known as Checkerbark Juniper. We'll also share favorite stories about coffee with Molly and what it's like to be a biology professor running The Cummings Lab focused on sensory ecology, evolution and behavIor.
Boyd Coffee Company is one of the oldest family-owned coffee companies, established in 1900 in Portland, OR. They were one of the first companies to deliver coffee, the first to outfit customers with brewing equipment, the first to sell certified organic coffee and the first to import Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee. We'll share stories about the fundamental belief that Boyd's success comes directly from the success of their customers and the delight of their consumers they serve. We can't wait to welcome our guest, Jeffrey Newman, CEO of Boyd's Coffee to talk about Boyd's mission, vision and their recent acquisition by Farmer Brothers. Their core beliefs have been at the center of their objectives, in everything they do, from their team vision to how they focus on innovation.
Over 65 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes. One coffee company in the United States is helping refugees settle their new country by equipping them to become successful baristas. Please join us as we share coffee stories with the team at 1951 Coffee Company in Berkeley, CA founded in 2015 by Doug Hewitt and Rachel Taber.
As of October 2017, 1951 Coffee Company has graduated over 65 baristas from their 1951 training program with 32 graduates being employed as baristas and 70% of the graduates finding employment. At least 17 countries are represented among the trainees. We'll talk about how the name 1951 Coffee Company comes from the 1951 Geneva convention.
Ever wonder what it's like to become an entrepreneur and be involved in innovation? We're sharing entrepreneurial life experiences with Christopher Somogyi, Senior Vice President, Investment Group at Xinova in Seattle, WA. We'll talk about some of the projects Chris has managed, how he's been involved in startups and what it's like to promote innovation in other parts of the world like New Zealand. As we share entrepreneurial stories, we'll also weave in fun coffee stories from around the world.
We'll hear about coffee dreams as Joel Rasmussen shares how he and his wife Dani started coffee carts at the University of Montana in the 1990's. We'll also talk about Joel's creativity in producing a film documentary Before the Music Dies, how he wrote a best-selling book Vacation Rental Success, and his involvement in the Austin Texas community. Joel and Dani own a successful boutique vacation rental business in Austin, with 10 beautifully furnished guest homes near downtown. Voted Top 10 in the World by Travel Byte UK, every detail is perfect, even the coffee Joel and Dani offer!
Find out how Coffee with a Cop is building relationships one cup at a time!
The Coffee with a Cop program was launched in Hawthorne, CA in 2011 during a brainstorming session when members of the Hawthorne Police Department were looking for ways to interact more successfully with the citizens they served each day.
The Hawthorne Police Department hit upon a simple plan to break through the barriers that have been built over the years –a cup of coffee. The key to Coffee with a Cop's growing success is that it opens the door for interactions outside of the crisis situations that typically bring law enforcement officers and community members together.
In less than five years, Coffee with a Cop events have been hosted in all 50 states and is one of the most successful community oriented policing programs across the country.
At Ola Brew Company in Kona Hawaii, it's all about using local island ingredients in their products and making world class beer and ciders. You can taste the flavors of Hawaii in their products like Dragonfruit Cider, White Pineapple Cider and their sparkling Noni Punch. We'll hear how Ola Brew creates the 14 taps of beer and cider at their facility in Kona and how they support community and agriculture in Hawaii. Ola Brew focuses on sourcing from local farmers in Hawaii in meaningful, sustainable ways.
At La Terza Artisan Coffee Roasterie, relationships with customers and farmers are very important. Based in Cincinnati Ohio, La Terza focuses on making people feel like they can become part of their coffee family. On today's show, we're sharing favorite coffee stories with La Terza primary owner, David Gaines, who is not only committed to customers' coffee experiences, he is also dedicated to the welfare of farmers in other countries.
Did you know the RMS Titanic carried over one ton of coffee?! We are delighted to share amazing stories about Titanic exploration with the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush. OceanGate’s team will be going to the depths of the Titanic this Summer 2018 to survey, research and collect data about the wreck with their newly designed manned submersible Cyclops 2. . For the first time, qualified members of the public are invited to join the authentic survey expedition and actively participate as Mission Specialists to support the scientists and content experts as they explore the wreck in the world’s only privately owned submersible able to reach Titanic depths!
We're sharing favorite coffee stories with our special guests Terry Cisco and Tina Clothier. Terry and Tina are actively involved in the Hawaiian community, promoting goodness in so many ways. Terry designs beautiful architecture that enhances the Big Island's beauty and Tina strengthens community through the People's Advocacy for Trails in Hawaii also known as PATH. We are delighted to have them on the show to share their inspiring stories and to hear about their favorite coffee stories in Hawaii and along their personal journeys.
We are sharing favorite coffee stories from Australia! We are delighted to have with us Saxon Wright, CEO of Pablo & Rusty's Coffee Roasters in Australia. Pablo & Rusty's sources coffees from farms that are committed to quality and sustainability and are also unique with a distinct profile. Saxon stresses the importance of working with farms that have specific standards in both coffee and farm management - including fair wages and working conditions, ecological care and community development. Saxon says the relationships with farms are a constant source of inspiration and are fundamental to Pablo and Rusty's story. We'll hear about the commitment to providing quality coffee and involving the highest level of technology during roasting, to data analysis and measuring consistency all while incorporating sustainability in running the cafes. We can't wait to hear more about the innovative HuskeeCup made from coffee husks and the latest trend of cashless cafes.
Ever wonder what it's like traveling the world while working remotely? We'll have fun sharing favorite coffee stories with our special guest, Brooke Bachesta, who has been traveling across the United States in her van with her dog Chalupa. Brooke has been writing a travel blog, taking incredible photographs and working remotely while experiencing amazing adventures and beautiful places. We'll hear about Brooke's favorite coffee experiences along the way and what's in store for her next adventure.
We'll share fun student coffee stories with our special guest Christine Gilbert, currently an MBA student at the University of Washington. Coffee is taken quite seriously in Seattle and we'll hear first-hand some of the favorite student coffee hangouts.
The love of music and coffee often go hand-in-hand! We are sharing favorite coffee stories with award-winning musician, Carolyn Willis. Carolyn is an accomplished violinist and violin instructor in Seattle. We'll hear the secrets behind creating and performing beautiful music. And we'll share stories how musicians often meet over coffee to discuss their music. We can't wait to get an up close glimpse into the music community in Seattle, where coffee stories flow as much as music does.
The creativity and passion in film-making often involve good coffee stories. We're sharing favorite stories with award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Guillermo Willy Navarro. From Argentina, Guillermo has travelled to more than 35 countries shooting documentaries and stories as well as independent Hollywood film projects. We'll learn about his inspiration and how coffee houses are a favorite place to write screenplays.
The Greenwell Farms family tradition continues today, over 150 years later. We're speaking with fourth-generation farmer Tom Greenwell about their high quality Kona coffee at Greenwell Farms. Their century old Arabica coffee trees capture an incredible family story starting with Henry Nicholas Greenwell leaving England in 1850 to first set foot on the fertile soil of rural Kona Hawaii. We'll share favorite family coffee stories today and back when Henry Greenwell's 40 years of farming and ranching was perfecting Kona coffee. We can't wait to hear about how Greenwell Farms earned the Recognition Diploma for their Kona coffee at the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna, Austria. We look forward to sharing legendary Greenwell Farms stories and their legacy.
We’re sharing favorite coffee stories with our special guest, Dan Gampon, who at age 18 completed the world famous Ironman competition in Kona, Hawaii. We’ll talk about his training philosophy, inspiration and techniques to successfully complete Triathlons. And we’ll chat about how coffee plays a role and what gives Dan strength to “keep going” during grueling competitions!
We will get a glimpse into the world of surfing with famous surfing photographer Kirk Lee Aeder. Kirk has authored books about surfers and the scenic Hawaiian Islands. His photos can be seen in Sports Illustrated, Fodors Travel Books and various magazines. In addition to photographing the surfing scene, Kirk also covers pro-sports, aerial and underwater. We can't wait to hear all about the never ending adventures Kirk has experienced as well as his inspiring travel stories and some of his favorite coffee stories.
Ever wonder what it's like being a building contractor, remodeling homes and handling a variety of property projects under tight deadlines and with utmost quality? We'll be sharing favorite contractor and coffee stories with Dale Mandeville, Owner of 808 Property Services in Hawaii.
We are sharing stories about delicious, creamy nitro cold brew coffee with Snowing in Space Coffee Company in Charlottesville Virginia. Snowing in Space crafts a wide variety ready-to-drink nitro cold brew coffees that are served on tap and in cans. We’ll talk about Snowing in Space’s “Space Lab” where they have over 10+ taps to sample with flavors ranging from traditional coffee to blends with peppermint green tea or chai.
As part of our Halloween show, we are featuring Puna Chocolate, an amazing farm to bar chocolate grown in Puna, Hawaii! Adam Potter, Co-owner of Puna Chocolate Company along with his sister Teri Hagerott, will join us as we explore how chocolate is created from beautiful cacao pods and what makes Puna Chocolate so unique coming from one of the wettest regions in the United States. We'll also share favorite coffee and chocolate stories, while learning more about the importance of tropical conservation and sustainability. And we can't wait to hear about Puna Chocolate's Big Island Style bar made with Kona Coffee, Puna cacao nibs and 70% dark chocolate.
The first coffee was planted in Kona by missionary Samuel Ruggles in 1828. Coffee and Kona were a perfect match with Kona's rich volcanic soil, hard-working family farmers and perfect climate conditions.
For nearly 200 years much has been celebrated, discussed and enjoyed over a cup of Kona's world famous coffee! Kona coffee will be taking center stage at the 47th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival November 3-12, 2017 We'll be sharing stories with Valerie Corcoran, President of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, and we'll be talking about the unique culture and diversity of Hawaii and Kona's incredible coffee heritage.
Close and transparent relationships with coffee farmers around the world encourages unmatched insight into their community needs and plans for business growth. The organization Sustainable Harvest is well-equipped to facilitate origin projects that impact coffee-producing communities and help customers connect with the farmers behind their cup. David Griswold, Founder and CEO, of Sustainable Harvest has been revolutionizing speciality coffee since 1997. We'll be sharing favorite coffee stories with David and hearing how Sustainable Harvest creates transparent relationships that increase value throughout the supply chain, all while fostering greater sustainability. It's all about Relationship Coffee.
What do specialty coffee and clam chowder have in common? It's Mr. Bob Donegan!
As Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at Peet's Coffee from 1994 to 1997, Bob Donegan helped grow Peet's specialty coffee business from 19 to 31 stores. In 1997, he became involved with Seattle's Ivar's Restaurants serving delicious clam chowder, fish and chips and seafood. He was appointed as President of Ivar's Inc. in 2001 and since he started he has grown the business from 45 to 61 units! We'll be sharing favorite stories during the early days at Peet's Coffee, what it's like running Ivar's, and about Bob's current projects and passions. And we look forward to hearing more about Clem the Clam and the popular dancing clams!
This week we are exploring favorite stories in other parts of the world with our special guest Professor Selwa A.F. Al-Hazzaa MD in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Selwa will share stories about her incredible career and journey in medicine in Ophthamology and Genetics and what it's like being a Professor teaching at the College of Medicine Alfaisel University. We'll also share stories about life in Saudi Arabia and favorite coffee stories that could include cardamom and saffron!
We'll be sharing stories about what keeps Silicon Valley buzzing and what are some of the favorite coffee drinks of Silicon Valley tech leaders. With our special guest, Lannie Medina from Tech Bay Area Advocates, we'll explore what's it's like at Silicon Valley innovation events, the startup scene and favorite coffee shops.
Among many coffee historians, the rise of specialty coffee is said to be attributed to a gentleman named Alfred H. Peet who founded Peet's Coffee & Tea in Berkeley, California in 1966. We've often heard Alfred Peet to be described as the Dutchman who taught America how to drink coffee! We'll be sharing interesting stories about Peet's Coffee, the popularity of gourmet coffee and the rise of specialty coffee in the U.S. We'll also be talking about the growth of custom coffee roasting, the interest in darker blends and how Peet's Coffee served as a model for other roasters including Starbucks.
Were sharing interesting stories about how Starbucks sources coffee beans around the world and what it takes to find the perfect bean! Our special guest, Scott McMartin, who has 20+ years of experience in the coffee industry has travelled the world in search of the perfect cup. Serving as Directory of Global Coffee Advocacy for Starbucks, Scott developed various blends with quality beans he sourced from across the globe. In Scott's quest for the world's best coffee, he has amazing coffee stories about what he's learned from various cultures. He now owns and runs his own speciality coffee company called Fundamental Coffee in Seattle.
What do some of the latest trends look like in the coffee industry and where are we going? Please join us as we share stories about coffee trends from specialty coffee and cold-brews to grab-and-go coffee. We'll also be talking with our special guest Umeko Motoyoshi, Head of Coffee at Sudden Coffee, about the the new trend for quality instant coffee.
How did we end up with the phrase give yourself a coffee break? What was coffee culture like in the early days and how did it evolve across the country? We'll share favorite coffee stories about coffee culture in the 1970's and 1980's with our special guest, Stephan Roche, who was on the front lines of early coffee culture as brand assistant for Folgers at P&G. Stephan witnessed the shift to higher quality speciality coffees and the rise of Starbucks and Pete's Coffee.
What's your favorite family coffee story? The one that defines who you truly are, in a relaxing setting. It's where you share your memories, plan for the future and talk about the now. We'll be sharing coffee stories that touch our lives and stories that weave us together as Mothers and Daughters. Sometimes these special moments are when we travel, or when we share a good cup of coffee at a cafe or sometimes around the breakfast table. Delighted our daughter, Evelyn Somogyi will be joining us to share some of our favorite family coffee stories.
What's it like to make global coffee communities sustainable? We'll be sharing coffee stories with our special guest Carolyn Miles, President & CEO of Save The Children who has worked with coffee growing families in places like Guatamala. Carolyn Miles has doubled the amount of children that Save the Children reaches and has greatly increased its budget. We will also share coffee stories in Asia, where Carolyn was involved in starting a coffee company called Pacific Coffee with several stores in Hong Kong, China, and Macau.
Ever wonder what makes freshly roasting coffee important for that great cup of coffee? We are excited about sharing coffee stories that involve all the steps that go into a delicious cup of coffee and the benefits of freshly roasting. Asher Yaron in Bali, who has over 10 years experience in the coffee business, will be joining us live from Asia where he is presenting at the Singapore Coffee Festival and lauching his exciting, newly developed home roaster. We also can't wait to hear more about Asher Yaron's recently written groundbreaking book, Get Your Fix!
We love sharing coffee stories especially when it involves food creativity! We are delighted to have with us the James Beard Award-winning chef Jason Wilson.
Chef Jason Wilson serves as Executive Chef and Creative Director of Product Development for the global company COFFEE FLOUR. We'll hear about how Chef Jason is researching and developing delicious recipes with the next global superfood and global impact food. It is creating positive social change for farmers and growers through economics and the environment, and is a healthier solution for consumers of products, from chocolate to bread, and cereals and even energy drinks.
We'll also talk about Chef Jason's newly opened and highly-acclaimed restaurant The Lakehouse in Bellevue Washington with its vibrant farm-inspired craft cooking. If you are there for breakfast, you won't want to miss the delicious coffee flour granola!