Workshop Description: This workshop equips new and growing coffee entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools to start and scale a wholesale coffee business. We’ll cover the full journey—from green coffee buying and roasting to selling your product across B2B and consumer channels. By the end, you’ll have a comprehensive roadmap to develop a profitable, customer-focused wholesale program, along with an understanding of key industry benchmarks and strategies for standing out in a crowded market.

Learning Objectives:

1. To learn how to source green coffee in an effective manner by working with various buying methods, forecasting, and working alongside producers

2. To understand the necessary equipment and education needed to create an in-house roasting program

3. Gain practical and effective sales tactics from two coffee sales professionals, such as how to build a pipeline, creating sales & marketing materials, and how to conduct in & out-bound sales

4. Attendees will have a business plan specially for wholesale coffee roasting to follow along, fill-out, and walk away with

Date: Sunday, April 12, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Room Number: 30 C
Category: Business

REGISTRATION FEES:

EARLY BIRD Regular* - $250
EARLY BIRD Paid Member* - $210
Regular - $275
Paid Member - $230

*Early Bird pricing ends March 1, 2026

Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee San Diego Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply login using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.

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Instructor

Tarra Samuelson

Consultant

Tarra Samuelson (she/her) has spent the past 15 years working across retail, wholesale, and educational facets of the specialty coffee industry. She has contributed to the growth of both boutique roasters and large, fast-scaling companies through her expertise in sales, business development, and operations. Tarra co-owns Provision Coffee in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and is the founder of Curated Coffee Consulting, a consulting agency dedicated to supporting specialty coffee start-ups in retail & wholesale. She brings a strong passion for education and relationship-driven sales, and has held national sales and business development roles with companies including Verve Coffee, Equator Coffees, Rishi Tea, and Eversys.

Blair Smith

Southwest Account Manager

Blair Smith is the Southwest Account Manager for Ally Coffee, a green coffee importer. She has been working in specialty coffee since 2012, working in various roles as a barista, store manager, general manager, roaster, and wholesale manager, and now enjoys the role where she can connect both ends of the supply chain. When she's not living and breathing coffee, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and raising chickens.

Public Cupping - Open to All Attendees

Cupping Room 33 B

Hosted by Daterra

Private Cupping - Open to Select Attendees

Cupping Room 33 C

Hosted by Cafe Imports

Public Cupping - Open to All Attendees

Cupping Room 33 A

Workshop Description: Snap into water chemistry with this hands-on workshop where we explore the compounds and ions commonly found in water—like calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Piece-by-piece, learners will see how minerals move through filters like ion exchange cartridges. We will also talk about why the coffee industry wants to manage minerals in water that is already safe to drink. Whether you are a technician, barista, or just curious about what’s happening inside your water filter, this session helps build clarity—literally. Come ready to stack knowledge and connect the dots on how filters manage minerals.

Following this workshop, attendees should be able to:

1. Identify compounds typically found in tap water

2. Define and list components that contribute to the total hardness of a water

3. Define and list components that contribute to the temporary hardness of water

4. Define and list components that contribute to alkalinity

5. Describe what happens inside of an ion exchange water filter cartridge

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Room Number: 30 C
Category: Science

REGISTRATION FEES:

Regular - $275
Paid Member - $230

*Early Bird pricing ends March 1, 2026

Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee San Diego Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply login using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.

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Instructor

Ben Helt

Technical Training Director

Ben Helt has worked in specialty coffee for more than 20 years, with experience spanning roasting, café ownership, and global coffee education. He’s known for making technical and sensory concepts approachable. Ben had a front-row seat to the development of the SCA Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) and has delivered CVA courses to international audiences, helping cuppers and educators engage the system with confidence and clarity. He previously led the Authorized SCA Trainer Program, supporting a worldwide network of educators. Today, Ben brings his expertise to water quality as the Technical Training Director for BWT Water & More US, helping coffee professionals optimize one of coffee?s most essential ingredients.

Workshop Description: Deep dive into this immersive workshop examining the history and future of the Coffea species. Focusing on the diversity of flavor and the lack of genetic diversity endangering the species, the workshop walks participants through key factors that make Coffea, particularly Arabica, vulnerable to extinction.

Part presentation, part tasting, this workshop is open to and has been fruitful for people with varied levels of experience, from those new to cupping all the way to seasoned coffee traders. Discover what is at stake as we face environmental and genetic challenges, and gain first-hand insights through compelling case studies from producers of the world’s rarest species and innovative farming initiatives. Some of these producers will join as guest speakers, offering their perspectives and sharing their experiences directly with participants.

Tasting exercises will include multiple Coffea species such as Stenophylla, Eugenioides, Liberica, Excelsa, Racemosa, Wightiana, experimentally processed Canephora, and a selection of several innovative and rare Arabica varieties and processings.

This session will deepen your understanding of the urgent need to preserve coffee biodiversity, highlight the threats and the remarkable potential within this genus, and introduce initiatives underway to navigate the current climate.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of genetic diversity in coffee and why many Coffea species, especially Arabica, are endangered, and describe the environmental, genetic, and economic factors involved.

2. Taste and identify a range of Coffea species and Arabicas, while discussing their unique genetic and sensory characteristics.

3. Analyze real-world case studies of innovative farming and conservation practices aimed at preserving rare coffee species and adapting to climate change.

4. Foster professional and community connections through collaborative learning and shared sensory experiences.

5. Enjoy an engaging, memorable coffee experience that sparks curiosity and inspires reflection on coffee’s future.

*A Spanish speaking Instructor will be available for this workshop.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Room Number: 31 C
Category: Cupping

REGISTRATION FEES:

EARLY BIRD Regular* - $250
EARLY BIRD Paid Member* - $210
Regular - $275
Paid Member - $230

*Early Bird pricing ends March 1, 2026

Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee San Diego Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply login using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.

BOOK NOW >

Instructor

Leon Grodski Barrera

Co-Owner Little Waves Coffee Roasters

Leon Grodski Barrera approaches coffee through curiosity and wonder. Co-Founder of Little Waves Coffee Roasters, and 21 years in the industry, Leon is interested in the history of coffee, past and present, dimensionally beyond algorithm, third place, and third wave. ZHAW Coffee Excellence Center Advanced Studies grad, this session came out of his awe for flavor, wonder at the defiance of a coffee seedling, diversity of the plant and a deep concern for the endangered state of Coffea. With his partner and wife, Areli, he is currently building out a new roasting and lab facility.

Adriana Uriostegui

Trainer

Adriana Uriostegui has worked in the specialty coffee industry for 13 years. Her career has led her to managing cafes, training, and becoming a wholesale representative. Training and education have always played a meaningful role throughout her journey and now she’s extending her experience through consulting for new and current cafe owners.

Lecture Description

For decades, roasting has been concentrated in consuming countries—far from the farms and communities that produce coffee. But advances in processing consistency, packaging technology, and origin-based expertise are unlocking a new frontier: roasting at origin as a viable, high-quality, and economically powerful alternative.

This panel brings together producers, roasters, engineers, and supply-chain innovators to examine how decentralized, origin-based roasting can reshape the global coffee landscape. We will explore the scientific, economic, and cultural implications of shifting manufacturing upstream, including improved roast precision through proximity to processing, reduced carbon footprint, lower logistics costs, and the potential for significant value retention within producing countries.

Panelists will share real case studies from coffee producing countries, explaining how origin roasting can impact cup quality, local economies, and business feasibility. We will also address challenges—including energy needs, equipment accessibility, training, financing, and global distribution—to create a realistic roadmap for implementation.

This session aims to move the industry from theory to practice, offering a framework for how roasters, importers, retailers, and producers can participate in a more equitable and scientifically robust future of coffee manufacturing.

Attendees will leave with an understanding of how origin roasting works, why it matters, and what steps they can take to integrate decentralized manufacturing into their businesses.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Location: Room 24AB
Category: Sustainability

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Shanita Nicholas
Founder, Quantum Seeds

Shanita Nicholas is the Director of Coffee Ecology at Quantum Seeds LLC, where she leads the development of decentralized origin-roasting networks that unite sensory science, sustainable manufacturing, and cultural storytelling. A chemical engineer by training, attorney by profession, and Q Grader by craft, she brings a rare combination of technical precision, legal strategy, and sensory expertise to the redesign of global coffee systems.

Before founding Quantum Seeds, Shanita co-founded Sip & Sonder, one of Los Angeles’ most influential specialty coffee brands and cultural hubs, where she built community-centered experiences rooted in Black creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection. Her work at Sip & Sonder established her as a leader capable of navigating the entire coffee value chain — from sourcing and roast profiling to retail operations, wholesale strategy, and hospitality design.

Lecture Description

What if brewing didn’t just change taste—but also health?

This talk explores how extraction parameters modulate coffee’s chemical profile, influencing both sensory quality and key bioactive compounds. From antioxidants to potentially harmful molecules, we will uncover how to design a better—and smarter—cup.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Location: Room 23BC
Category: Science

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Agnese Santanatoglia
Coffee Scientist, Simonelli Group S.p.A.

Agnese Santanatoglia is a food chemist and postdoctoral researcher at the Research and Innovation Coffee Hub (RICH), a collaboration between Simonelli Group S.p.A. and the University of Camerino. Her research explores how extraction conditions shape coffee quality through chemical and sensory mechanisms. She combines analytical techniques, such as GC-MS and HPLC, with sensory evaluation to translate coffee science into actionable insights for coffee professionals. She conducted part of her research at The Ohio State University, focusing on coffee acidity and flavoromics. Alongside her academic work, she is also involved in science-driven innovation projects and entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at transforming coffee research into real-world products and impact.

Workshop Description: Many coffee drinkers use the word strong to describe what they like in espresso, but strength is only one part of a much bigger story. In this interactive tasting workshop, we’ll explore the critical and often misunderstood difference between strength and extraction quality. Through guided tastings and intentionally varied espresso shots, participants will learn how brew ratios, grind size, and temperature influence both intensity and flavor clarity.

We’ll begin by clarifying what strength truly means in espresso: the concentration of dissolved coffee in the final shot. From there, we’ll dive into extraction, how much of the coffee’s soluble material is pulled during brewing, and how under-extracted, balanced, and over-extracted espresso presents itself on the palate. By tasting contrast shots that isolate these variables, participants will build a clearer sensory vocabulary to identify cleanliness, acidity, sweetness, body, and finish with greater confidence.

Whether you’re a barista looking to sharpen your dialing-in skills or a coffee enthusiast curious about why some shots taste vibrant and balanced while others feel harsh or hollow, this workshop will provide practical tools to diagnose espresso and make intentional, repeatable adjustments behind the bar. Come ready to taste, compare, and better understand what’s really happening in your cup.

Learning Objectives

1. Clarify Strength vs. Extraction in Espresso

Help participants understand the distinction between espresso strength (brew ratio and concentration) and extraction (how much flavor is dissolved), and how each variable impacts the final shot.

2. Develop Espresso-Specific Sensory Awareness

Strengthen participants’ ability to taste and identify sensory cues associated with under-extracted, balanced, and over-extracted espresso.

3. Translate Taste Into Actionable Adjustments

Equip attendees with practical tools to connect what they taste to specific, repeatable adjustments such as dose amount, grind size, and yield.

4. Foster Confidence, Curiosity, and Dialogue

Create an engaging, supportive environment where participants feel comfortable asking questions, comparing shots, and deepening their understanding of espresso through shared sensory experience.

Note: This workshop will use espresso as the brew method to explore these principles, but the content covered can be applied to all coffee brewing methods.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Room Number: 32 AB
Category: Brewing

REGISTRATION FEES:

EARLY BIRD Regular* - $250
EARLY BIRD Paid Member* - $210
Regular - $275
Paid Member - $230

*Early Bird pricing ends March 1, 2026

Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee San Diego Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply login using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.

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Instructor

Emma Isabel

Learning & Development

Emma Isabel is the Regional Trainer for Southern California and Las Vegas at Blue Bottle Coffee, supporting barista and leadership development through intentional training, facilitation, and mentorship. Her work spans multiple markets and new cafe openings, helping teams build strong foundations and sustainable practices. She began her career in 2010 at Tierra Mia Coffee, gaining early experience with a rapidly expanding independent Latino brand. Since then, she has been passionate about engaging baristas at every stage of their careers and bridging the gap between making coffee and becoming a true coffee professional in ways that feel fun, authentic, and empowering.

Workshop Description: Sensory Toolkit 2.0 is a dynamic, hands-on workshop that expands traditional cupping and flavor-wheel training into a multisensory approach designed for modern baristas, trainers, and sensory professionals. Participants explore the intersection of aroma, texture, and narrative to build a more intuitive and inclusive sensory vocabulary. Through guided tasting, aroma jar identification, tactile mouthfeel stations, and narrative-based flavor mapping, attendees learn practical methods for breaking the “language trap” that limits sensory communication in cafés and training environments. This workshop equips participants with actionable tools to strengthen team calibration, improve guest communication, and enhance their own ability to perceive and describe coffee in a meaningful, memorable way.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify and describe key aromas using a simplified, accessible scent library.

2. Use tactile cues to interpret and communicate mouthfeel and structure in brewed coffee.

3. Apply multisensory anchors (texture, color, temperature, emotion, memory) to develop more expressive and accurate tasting language.

4. Break common sensory “language traps” through narrative-based flavor communication.

5. Implement quick, low-cost sensory training exercises in their own cafés or training programs.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Room Number: 31 AB
Category: Brewing

REGISTRATION FEES:

EARLY BIRD Regular* - $250
EARLY BIRD Paid Member* - $210
Regular - $275
Paid Member - $230

*Early Bird pricing ends March 1, 2026

Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee San Diego Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply login using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.

BOOK NOW >

Instructor

Ashley Whelan

Director of Coffee

Ashley Whelan is a coffee educator and operator with experience developing training programs, multi-sensory teaching tools, and flavor communication frameworks for café teams, roasteries, and competition-level baristas. Ashley integrates operational knowledge, sensory science, and creative pedagogy to make coffee education accessible, memorable, and grounded in real café practice.

Workshop Description: The SCA Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) is a tool developed as a universal system of evaluating and documenting coffee quality, and is the most widely used quality evaluation system in the Specialty Coffee industry. The CVA is an evolution of previous cupping systems, like the 2004 SCA Cupping Protocol, but it integrates current sensory science, economics, evolved techniques, and current coffee market dynamics. This 3-hour course will orient experienced cuppers to the system, teach proper use of the CVA, and explore how the CVA can be adapted for use across a variety of business environments.

Learning objectives:

1. Understand the purpose and design of the Physical, Descriptive, Affective, and Extrinsic Assessments of the CVA.

2. Perform a coffee assessment using all four elements.

3. Understand how to use tools like aroma examples and triangulations to improve skills.

4. Learn how to adapt CVA to specific business environments such as the roasting company, the coffee trader, the coffee exporter, etc.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Room Number: 30 DE
Category: Cupping

REGISTRATION FEES:

Regular - $275
Paid Member - $230

*Early Bird pricing ends March 1, 2026

Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee San Diego Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply login using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.

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Instructor

Peter Giuliano

Senior Advisor of Science Communication and Engagement Strategy

Peter Giuliano is the Senior Advisor of Science Communication and Engagement Strategy for the SCA. With 35 years of experience in the coffee trade, he focuses on supporting, promoting, and communicating scientific and economic research that benefits the entire coffee industry.

Public Cupping - Open to All Attendees

Cupping Room 33 A

Hosted by Federación Nacional de Cafeteros

Public Cupping - Open to All Attendees

Cupping Room 33 C

Hosted by JNP Coffee

Public Cupping - Open to All Attendees

Cupping Room 33 B

Hosted by Neumann Gruppe USA

Workshop Description: Since cold brew coffee entered the industry's main stage a decade ago, many coffee professionals believe they've learned all there is to learn about the brewing method. This workshop is an interactive exploration that demonstrates some of what the latest coffee science has taught us about cold-water brewing and how to apply scientific and sensory skills to transform cold brew cups from mediocre to extraordinary.

Designed for coffee professionals across various segments, this workshop delivers a science-driven, practical experience with cold brew. You'll discover how cold-water brewing shapes flavor, learn strategies to optimize your cold brew offerings, and uncover actionable ways to apply the latest research in your role. Whether you're focused on quality, innovation, or storytelling, this session offers relevant insights for anyone interested in cold brew's potential.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how the cold water brewing method impacts flavors in the cup compared to hot brewed counterparts.

2. Learn how to use cold brew cupping to explore possibilities and make meaningful program decisions.

3. Explore how cold brew can showcase the unique characteristics and stories behind different coffees and origins.

4. Practice cold brew sensory analysis with CVA (serves as an easy-to-follow intro to CVA forms).

5. Participants will engage in approachable sensory comparisons designed for all experience levels.

6. Leave with practical, evidence-based takeaways—whether you want to understand cold brew's popularity or discover insights aimed at improving your offerings for cold brew consumers.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Room Number: 30 B
Category: Sensory

REGISTRATION FEES:

EARLY BIRD Regular* - $250
EARLY BIRD Paid Member* - $210
Regular - $275
Paid Member - $230

*Early Bird pricing ends March 1, 2026

Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee San Diego Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply login using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.

BOOK NOW >

Instructor

Julia Leach

President

Julia Leach leads Toddy, LLC, a company that has been at the forefront of cold brewing since 1964. Julia’s team works with cafes and roasters worldwide to help them develop cold brew programs that highlight the nuances of the brewing method and inspire their customers to fall in love with cold brew. She is passionate about the art and science of cold brewing and is active in developing quality cold brew education for the coffee industry. She has presented at SCA Re:co, SCA Expo, NCA Convention, and also frequently presents at industry events around the world.

Lecture Description

The European Union's Deforestation Regulation formed a monumental shift in the baseline level of sustainability and transparency required to operate in the EU market. Despite the myriad pitfalls regarding the regulation's implementation - lack of clarity, negotiations and delays - the industry-wide exercise of ensuring supply chain compliance illuminated many issues pervasive throughout the coffee supply chain. US operators can examine the benefits and lessons learned from the EUDR implementation process on the ground level without the fear of imminent enforcement. This allows us to examine the breakthoughts in supply chain traceability, scale geospacial technology to our needs, and use the framework of the EUDR process to guide our future buying decisions for the benefit of a deforestation and exploitation-free supply chain.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Location: Room 26AB
Category: Sustainability

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Ilya Byzov
Head of Research, Sucafina

Ilya is the Head of Research and Quantative Trading at Sucafina. With 17 years of experience in commodities and 14 in coffee, Ilya's main role is to understand global coffee supply and global coffee demand. This information is fed into models that forecast global coffee prices and guide the company's trading decisions. With the initial aim of forecasting coffee acreage globally, Ilya has been working with geospatial technology since 2019. Ilya has been helping to guide Sucafina's policy on deforestation and supply chain traceability since 2021, relying on his educational background of Environmental Studies. In 2023, this role has been expanded to include guidance on fulfilling requirements for the upcoming EUDR legislation. Ilya's passion for trees and coffee place him in a unique position to speak on the challenges facing our industy and possible solutions to those challenges.

Lecture Description

Most people in specialty coffee still think in terms of cups: espresso, filter, cold brew served as is. But behind many Ready-to-Drink (RTD) cans, chain beverages, and tap systems there is something different: coffee brewed to become an ingredient – a liquid base that will later be diluted, mixed, or canned. These coffee concentrates are rarely talked about in the specialty community, even though they are quietly reshaping how the world drinks coffee.

This lecture opens that black box. We will first map how the industry uses coffee concentrates today for cold brew, RTD beverages, foodservice, and efficient café service, explaining in simple terms what a concentrate is (and is not), and why it is becoming so important. We will then compare the main ways these bases are produced and their impact on flavor and quality.

Finally, we will dive into a case study using falling-film freeze concentration (FFFC) on specialty cold and hot brews, showing how this low-temperature approach changes strength, volatile and bioactive compounds, and sensory attributes. Attendees will leave with a practical framework to reframe coffee as an ingredient, along with clear ways to assess if this new perspective can be applied in their own coffee businesses.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Location: Room 25AB
Category: Science

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Dr. Nancy Cordoba
Westrock Coffee

Dr. Nancy Córdoba is an engineer, scientist, and CQI-certified expert in coffee post-harvest processing with more than 20 years of experience in coffee process engineering, flavor chemistry, and sensory science. As Principal Scientist at Westrock Coffee, she leads strategic R&D and innovation initiatives in coffee and liquid extracts. Her career bridges industry and academia across the coffee value chain, from farm-level processing to the development of new beverage systems. She integrates analytical chemistry, predictive modeling, and descriptive sensory science to drive evidence-based decisions in coffee innovation. Dr. Córdoba was recognized as part of The Sprudge Twenty Class of 2023 for her global contributions to coffee science and education.

Lecture Description

Coffee flavor extends beyond mere taste; it constitutes a multisensory experience constructed by the brain. This lecture, delivered by Ramon Parada, adopts an interdisciplinary approach informed by neuroscience, biomedical research, medicine, and specialty coffee hospitality, drawing upon his background in the El Paso U.S.-Mexico border region.

This session examines how the brain merges taste, aroma, memory, expectation, emotion, and environment to shape our experience. Attendees will see why two identical coffees can taste different depending on packaging, storytelling, presentation, environmental cues, and a guest’s mindset.

Grounded in neuroscience and scientific skepticism, this lecture underscores a key point: our sensory systems are not neutral measuring devices. Human perception is powerful, but also flawed, biased, and vulnerable to suggestion. This perspective matches current sensory science, which finds that flavor perception and analysis are shaped by smell, taste, integration, and bias.

By applying a skeptic’s lens to sensory evaluation, participants will better understand how expectation, priming, branding, origin narratives, and other cognitive biases can distort both cupping results and everyday guest experiences. The lecture challenges common misconceptions about taste, clarifies the dominant role of aroma and neural processing in flavor perception, and offers practical strategies for reducing bias, communicating tasting notes more clearly, and designing hospitality experiences that align with how the brain actually works. Blending scientific rigor with practical café application, this session provides baristas, roasters, trainers, and hospitality leaders with a more evidence-based framework for improving sensory evaluation, guest communication, and perceived quality.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Location: Room 25C
Category: Science

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Ramon Parada
Owner/Founder, Glia’s Coffee

Ramon Parada is the founder and owner of Glia’s Coffee Co., a multi-location coffee business in El Paso, Texas, with operations in the county courthouse and experience in mobile coffee, high-volume events, and catering. He is also a medical student at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. Through Glia’s, Parada has helped fund scholarships for El Pasoans pursuing careers in medicine while using his business to support broader community initiatives. His work reflects a strong commitment to serving El Paso through both Glia's and medicine.

Lecture Description

For much of the late 20th century, the scientific and public narrative surrounding coffee and health was dominated by risk and caution. Early toxicological and epidemiological studies positioned coffee as a potential risk factor for a range of diseases. Media reporting also reinforced a largely negative public perception. Few would have anticipated the dramatic reversal that has unfolded over the past four and a half decades. This presentation examines how advances in research design, analytical rigor, and global data integration have fundamentally reshaped the scientific assessment of coffee’s health effects. Improved scientific studies and emerging mechanistic evidence have converged to reveal a different narrative: consistent associations between moderate coffee consumption and reduced risk of several major chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, liver disease, neurodegenerative conditions, certain cancers). Whereas earlier media coverage often sensationalized limited preliminary data, today’s reporting more frequently reflects the weight and quality of scientific and medical evidence. Drawing from 45 years of first-hand experience at the intersection of science, industry, and public communication, this presentation will explore how coffee’s health reputation has been radically transformed and how the industry can responsibly leverage this evolving evidence base to “brew a new narrative” in the years ahead.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Location: Room 24C
Category: Science

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

James Coughlin
Health Scientist, Coughlin & Associates: Consultants in Nutritional Toxicology

Dr. James R. Coughlin, MS PhD is an accomplished expert in food chemistry, nutritional toxicology and global regulatory affairs, including 45 years’ experience with coffee/health science. In his independent consulting role for the past 35 years, he continues to focus on coffee and health. He has served for several decades as a Board Member at the Association for Science and Information on Coffee. He has often communicated to the public about coffee’s risks and benefits, while assisting global research scientists in the design, interpretation and dissemination of their studies. He has also assisted the global coffee industry in representations to public health and regulatory organizations.

Lecture Description

Putting sustainability goals into practice can be challenging for coffee businesses. While many organizations are committed to sustainability, they often struggle to move from aspiration to practical solutions that deliver measurable impact.

In 2025, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) published its first How-To Guide, introducing the Sustainable Design Framework—an approach that helps organizations design sustainability strategies grounded in real-world needs, stakeholder collaboration, and long-term business viability.

This panel brings together perspectives across the full lifecycle of the framework. Moderated by SCA Sustainability Manager Andrés Montenegro, the session will explore the “before–during–after” of its development and application. Dr. Kate Fischer will share insights from the research and case studies that informed the framework. Angela Peláez (RGC Coffee) will reflect on the co-development process and how companies helped shape the approach. Brandon Bir (Crimson Cup) will present early lessons from piloting the framework in practice, including work in Guatemala.

Together, the panel will highlight how sustainability solutions can be designed, tested, and refined to respond to real needs and create shared value across coffee supply chains.

What will attendees learn from this presentation?

Attendees will gain practical insights into how to move from sustainability ambition to implementation within their own organizations. Specifically, they will:

• Understand how design approaches such as the Double Diamond can help identify sustainability challenges and develop actionable, context-specific solutions.

• Learn how business design elements—purpose, networks, governance, and finance—support the integration of sustainability into core operations and decision-making.

• Explore real-world lessons from the design, co-development, and piloting of the SCA Sustainable Design Framework, including key challenges, adaptations, and early outcomes.

• Identify practical ways to design sustainability initiatives that respond to real needs, create shared value, and strengthen relationships across coffee supply chains.
  

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Location: Room 23BC
Category: Sustainability

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Andrés Montenegro
Sustainability Manager, Specialty Coffee Association

Andrés Montenegro is a leading figure in sustainability leadership within the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), where he drives the sector's strategic evolution toward business models that are more equitable, resilient, and oriented toward shared value. With an international background in agri-food systems and sustainable development, he has spearheaded initiatives that integrate social impact, new value economies, and processes of deep organizational transformation. His work sits at the intersection of sustainability, strategy, and systemic leadership, guiding coffee organizations and communities in their transition toward models that are more conscious, adaptive, and capable of co-creating the future of the sector.

Kate Fischer, Ph.D.
Professor & Coffee Researcher, University of Colorado

Dr. Kate Fischer is a cultural anthropologist and Associate Teaching Professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. She has been in coffee since 2005 and has conducted research with producers in Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Colombia. Her research focuses on gender and ethnicity; the political economy of coffee; migration and stability; and the challenges in determining quality at all levels, from farms and mills in Central America to industry centers in the global North. She is a CQI Post-Harvest Processing Expert and was a core member of the team that developed the Coffee Sustainability program for SCA.

Angela Pelaez
Director of Global sustainability and coporate compliance, RGC Coffee

Angela Peláez, from an agricultural family, is Director of Global Sustainability and Corporate Compliance at RGC Coffee. She specializes in sustainable sourcing, compliance, and impact-driven programs. At RGC, she led the design, development, and implementation of 3E, the company's flagship sustainability program, delivering measurable social, economic, and environmental benefits across coffee-producing countries. Her work strengthens supply chains, promotes biodiversity, climate resilience, and social equity, and improves traceability. Angela previously served on the SCA Sustainability Center's Farmworkers Committee and currently sits on advisory bodies for Fair Trade USA and Colombia's Coffee, Forest & Climate Agreement, focusing on making sustainability a strong business case.

Brandon Bir
Director of Sustainability, Crimson Cup Coffee

Brandon Bir is a dedicated coffee professional, Q-Instructor, and Q-PHP assistant instructor centered on international community development and supply chain equity. As Director of Sustainability, he travels extensively to forge direct-trade relationships across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, ensuring transparency from seed to cup. With an MBA in International Business and Sustainability, Brandon integrates sensory science with systemic social impact. He oversees the "Friend2Farmer" initiatives, focusing on long-term mutual success and environmental stewardship. A frequent SCA contributor and industry educator, Brandon remains committed to evolving global coffee standards through collaborative and equitable sustainability models.

Lecture Description

Impact reports have proliferated across specialty coffee—but are they driving genuine progress or just good PR? As buyers demand proof of sustainability claims and producers seek recognition for their investments, the stakes for meaningful transparency have never been higher. This panel explores how coffee companies can move beyond glossy reports toward genuine accountability and measurable improvement. Featuring Mountain Harvest's Impact Report—which tracks outcomes including income uplift for participating farmers, soil health improvements, and supply chain traceability—alongside perspectives from buyers and certification organizations, panelists will examine what transparency really means, how to distinguish between authentic impact and "impact washing," and how aligned partners can co-create long-term frameworks for shared progress.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Location: Room 24AB
Category: Business

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Lecture Description

Recently, the coffee market has experienced a great deal of volatility, driven by supply-side tightness and exacerbated by shifting U.S. tariff rates, which have added further uncertainty as global availability continues to tighten. This lecture will provide participants with an overview of the impacts of U.S. tariffs on the NY “C” market price. We will provide a background in economic theory of international trade and protectionist policies, a look at how tariffs have changed the speed and sources of coffee flowing into the U.S., and an analysis of their impact on the NY “C” market. The session will equip stakeholders across the coffee supply chain with a practical framework to understand and anticipate the effects of tariffs on the coffee market.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 11:00 am - 11:45 am
Location: Room 26AB
Category: Business

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Hannah Fox
Director of Market Analysis, Advanced Economic Solutions

Hannah Fox is a market analyst at Advanced Economic Solutions, where she specializes in the analysis of coffee, cocoa, sugar, and other commodities. She provides clients with rigorous, data-driven insights to inform strategic decision-making. Hannah holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University.

Lecture Description

The specialty coffee movement has pushed producers, roasters, and baristas to achieve remarkable complexity in the cup—yet the beverages we build around those coffees often fall short of expressing that same level of creativity and intention. This lecture explores how to craft drinks whose visual presentation, texture, and structure are as thoughtfully composed and sensorially rich as the coffees they feature.

Participants will learn how to apply culinary principles, multi-layered textures, ingredient preparation techniques, and strategic visual design to create beverages that amplify—not overshadow—the coffee at their core. We’ll examine the role of emulsions, foams, gels, syrups, dustings, layering, ice shape, milk aeration, glassware, and color perception in shaping the drinker’s full experience.

Through kitchen-inspired methods and specialty-coffee sensibility, this session will empower baristas to move beyond “pretty lattes” into genuinely crafted, multi-sensory beverages that tell a story from the first glance to the last sip.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 11:00 am - 11:45 am
Location: Room 25AB
Category: Business

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Heather Perry
CEO, Klatch Coffee

Heather Perry is the CEO of Klatch Coffee and a lifelong figure in specialty coffee. Growing up in the business founded by her parents, Mike and Cindy Perry, she began working in Klatch cafés at a young age, building her expertise through competition, education, and industry involvement. Heather became the first woman to win the U.S. Barista Championship, and the first person to earn the title twice. Since then, she's placed second in the World Barista Championship, trained coffee professionals worldwide, and served as SCA President. Heather holds a BBA from Cal Poly Pomona and leads Klatch Coffee?s continued growth.

Lecture Description

This session provides coffee professionals with essential knowledge about lactose-free milk, bridging dairy science and barista practice. We'll explore what lactose-free milk is, how it is produced, and why it tastes distinctly sweeter than regular milk. We’ll draw on recent consumer research around consumer preferences, and examine purchasing patterns and motivations to highlight the broad appeal among consumers. The session will also be practical, touching on key considerations including foaming performance, cost implications for cafe owners, and positioning strategies. 

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 11:00 am - 11:45 am
Location: Room 25C
Category: Science

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Ty Wagoner
Senior Manager, California Dairy Innovation Center

Dr. Ty Wagoner brings over 15 years of experience in dairy research and product development. A trained chef turned food scientist, he holds BS and PhD degrees in Food Science from NC State University. His work spans dairy ingredient functionality, product development, and precision fermentation, with 10 peer-reviewed publications and 6 patents to his name. At CDIC, he collaborates with dairy processors, entrepreneurs, and students to advance new product innovation for the California dairy industry.

Lecture Description

In a culture defined by speed and consumption, the concept of Folk Coffee requires us to bring coffee back to the people. It calls us to return to the roots of coffee as a communal, reflective, and culturally rich practice. This lecture explores the deep connections between Latin American coffee traditions and the global “slow” coffee culture movements that once defined social life; such as sobremesas, salons, and other spaces of dialogue and leisure. Drawing from Latin American rituals of hospitality and shared experience, Folk Coffee reimagines how these traditions can inspire a more sustainable, intentional, and people-centered coffee culture today.

The lecture also considers how shared coffee education, through cuppings, workshops, and community tastings, echoes oral traditions and fosters accessibility across diverse communities. By treating education as a collective and story-driven process, the modern specialty coffee movement is reintroducing human connection and inclusivity into what was once an exclusive field.

Attendees will examine how cafés are already shifting away from grab-and-go service toward spaces of learning, ritual, and connection, and how embracing a “folk” mindset can deepen both community engagement and environmental care. 

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 11:00 am - 11:45 am
Location: Room 24C
Category: Sustainability

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Jacqueline McCourt
Coffee Educator, San Diego Coffee Training Institute

Jacqueline McCourt is a coffee educator and museum professional based in San Diego, California. She teaches at the San Diego Coffee Training Institute and works in visitor experience at the Mingei International Museum, where she engages the public with global craft traditions. She holds a bachelor's degree in History and is currently pursuing a museum studies certification. Her work is rooted in bringing a humanities perspective to the world of specialty coffee. Drawing on her Salvadoran and Irish American heritage, Jacquie is particularly interested in the role coffee plays in ritual, hospitality, and community traditions.

Lecture Description

Every year, roughly a million independent cafés purchase tens of billions of dollars’ worth of coffee-adjacent products. These products are meant to complement the work of the barista community, a hive of some of the most thoughtful, innovative operators in the world. Yet despite the community’s outsized contributions to the broader F&B world, it has had essentially zero involvement in creating these products; baristas are largely left out of the process and they capture little-to-no economic value within it. That should change.

In this lecture, we’ll explore how the industry arrived here, how products flow into cafes, and chart a path toward a supply ecosystem of CPG brands that truly represent — and are owned by — the best our community has to offer.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 10:30 am - 11:45 am
Location: Room 23BC
Category: Business

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Michelle R. Johnson-Strickland
CEO, Ghost Town Oats

Michelle R. Johnson-Strickland is the co-founder and CEO of Ghost Town Oats, an award-winning premium oat milk brand made by baristas. She is also the creator of The Chocolate Barista, the foremost platform amplifying Black voices in specialty coffee. A seasoned coffee professional with over a decade of experience, Michelle’s journey from behind the bar to leading a disruptive brand is fueled by a deep commitment to equity, authenticity, and freedom—values that have shaped every step of her career.

Bryan Harmer Hasho
Co-Founder, The Usual Company

Bryan Harmer Hasho is a Co-Founder of The Usual Company. After spending time in wholesale at Blue Bottle Coffee, he co-founded NYC’s Stand Coffee and went on to be employee one at Oatly North America where he spent seven years leading Oatly’s presence in the coffee channel.

Lecture Description

Regenerative agriculture is increasingly recognized as essential for the future of coffee, but the path to scaling it is neither uniform nor straightforward. Sustainable Food Lab will moderate a panel of leading experts exploring how different financing models can support coffee farmers to adopt and sustain regenerative practices across diverse landscapes. We will open with a brief framing on the social, environmental, and economic opportunities of regenerative agriculture, and why no single financing structure can meet the needs of all coffee farmers globally.

Four panelists, representing key stakeholders in coffee value chains, will share practical lessons from their work:

●      Root Capital: Insights on financing regenerative agriculture in partnership with producer organizations across Africa and Latin America.

●      Rainforest Alliance: How the organization is driving the adoption of regenerative practices through their Regenerative Agriculture Certification and field programs.

●      Keurig Dr Pepper: Lessons from a portfolio of regenerative agriculture investments with varied funding models and supply chain integrations. 

●      ACODIHUE Cooperative: A cooperative perspective on the challenges and opportunities for implementing regenerative practices, especially during times of high coffee prices.  

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 10:30 am - 10:45 am
Location: Room 24AB
Category: Sustainability

Access: This lecture is free to attend with a World of Coffee entry badge. Register to attend World of Coffee here.
Please note that lecture sessions are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Early arrival is highly recommended to secure your seat. 

Speakers

Molly Leavens
Program Manager, Sustainable Food Lab

Molly Leavens is a Program Manager at Sustainable Food Lab, where she works with multinational food companies, NGOs, and public agencies to improve smallholder farmer livelihoods and climate resilience. Her work focuses on corporate sustainability strategy, living income, and regenerative agriculture across coffee and cocoa supply chains in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. She holds a BA in Food and the Environment from Harvard University and an MA in Management and Global Affairs from Tsinghua University.

Miguel Gamboa
Coffee Lead, Rainforest Alliance

Miguel Gamboa, Coffee Lead at the Rainforest Alliance, was trained as an industrial engineer with Masters in Reengineering and International Trade. He started his professional career working in a coffee exporting company. Then, 23 years ago, he started working with the UTZ certification program. Being part of the support team for the members of the certification program, he was able to learn about different realities of coffee production and marketing throughout Latin America. After the merger of UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance, he was appointed as a Coffee Representative Manager for Latin America, and since September 2022 - as a Coffee Sector Lead.

“I believe that the certification is a good basis to start improving the living conditions of producing families. Coffee is synonymous with life—not only for producers and workers but also for flora and fauna, and all of us who taste its flavor”.

Marco Garcia
Business Development Manager, Root Capital

Marco García is Business Development Manager at Root Capital, an impact investor supporting agricultural businesses across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Based in Costa Rica, he leads the development of new market opportunities, financial solutions, advisory services, and partnerships that advance regenerative agriculture and climate resilience. His work focuses on connecting capital, advisory services, and market linkages to help agricultural enterprises scale sustainably and improve farmer livelihoods.

Sergio Silvestre
Commercial Manager, ACODIHUE

Agricultural Engineer with over 16 years of experience in developing coffee and honey value chains. He possesses a strong academic background with master's degrees in International Trade, Strategic Management, and Business Administration from the USAC Business School and EUDE Business School. He currently serves as Production and Marketing Manager at ACODIHUE, where he leads efforts to improve access to global markets and promote the sustainability of small-scale producers. He is an expert in implementing international certifications such as Fair Trade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance, with extensive experience managing projects with international cooperation.

Whitney Kakos
Sr. Director, Sustainability, Keurig Dr Pepper

Whitney Kakos is the Sr. Director of Sustainability at Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP). She oversees the company’s strategy and programming across the areas of Climate & Nature, Water, Responsible Sourcing and Farmer/Worker Livelihoods. This work balances risk management and compliance with long-term impact work within the company’s owned operations and diverse upstream supply chains. Whitney has strong roots at the intersection of sustainability and coffee, first at UK-based Cafédirect and then at Keurig Dr Pepper. She holds a MSc in Environmental Policy from LSE and lives with her husband and two children in Boston, MA.

Public Cupping - Open to All Attendees

Cupping Room 33 B

Hosted by Neumann Gruppe USA

Public Cupping - Open to All Attendees

Cupping Room 33 C

Hosted by StoneX

Public Cupping - Open to All Attendees

Cupping Room 33 A

Hosted by Osito Coffee