Gene Ke (she/her) is a certified CQI & CVA Arabica Q-Grader, having made her way into the coffee industry long after she got her degree in Mathematics and a masters in Education from Oxford University. The absolute definition of someone who throws herself into every opportunity - especially when she begins to feel stuck - Gene has been carving out a breathtaking career in coffee since 2020 after spending 7 years teaching Maths in schools.

From opening her own coffee shop to trading in the maths education to train wholesale accounts at Curious Roo Coffee Roasters, from competing in numerous national competitions to being integral in levelling up the coffee programme at Joe and the Juice; Gene is a shining example of how to move through the coffee industry and find your place within it.

This episode dives into the twists and turns of Gene’s coffee career; how to keep pushing forward when you feel that you’ve hit the ceiling of progress, navigating the transition between independent coffee roastery and global commercial chain, and the similarities and differences in teaching maths in schools and teaching coffee to coffee businesses – specifically the unconscious biases this can bring to the surface.

Since recording this episode, Gene has set up her own coffee business, Tribe Coffee Workshop, offering coffee events and education as well as green coffee services.

Theme Song by Good News.

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Joana Vieiralves Wood (she/her) is the founder of Bristol Coffee Festival in addition to her full-time role as Logistics and Accounts coordinator at Volcafe UK & Ireland.

After moving from Brazil to Bristol and working in coffee shops there, Joana felt that the city she had fallen in love with was missing out on something major – a coffee festival. What does a woman like Joana do when she sees something needs to happen? Makes it happen herself, of course.

We explore the depths of Joana’s coffee journey all the way up to where she is now; divulging in topics from overthinking as a barrier for self-confidence to navigating your way to find your place in the industry, from the importance of protecting your values and learning to tell people exactly what you need, to pregnancy and being a parent while carving out a career for yourself in the coffee industry (whether it be working in cafes or organising on coffee festivals) and navigating the judgement this can bring.

Theme song by Good News.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natalie Hodgkinson (she/her) is the founder of Boss and Brew - a barista training academy that does integral work in Cardiff, Wales, using specialty coffee as a vehicle to boost young people’s confidence and self-esteem, raise their aspirations and support them in expanding their networks to set them up with the skills they need to enter the world of work.

Prior to entering the coffee industry, Natalie was a maths teacher. Since opening her own coffee business, she felt that she could make positive change and impact on issues she saw within her own community in Cardiff, drawing from many of her own frustrations with the traditional education system and advocating for the importance of tailoring training to the individual.

This conversation explores a plethora of issues surrounding barriers to entry in the coffee industry; including the issues within recruitment processes in coffee, the immense pressure on young people to know what is right for them so early on and how to negate intimidation and accessibility at coffee events.

Theme song by Good News.

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Grace Talbot (she/her) has come a long way in her coffee career since her bookselling barista days at Cafe W (the coffee shop concept within Waterstones). From being offered a position she didn't apply for at the coffee roasters Girls Who Grind, to re-shaping how we think about coffee festivals at Cup North, Grace's career has gone from strength to strength, despite multiple hurdles that threatened to stand in the way. Today, she's absolutely smashing it as Sales Manager at Mió, and very recently emceed the World Barista Championships.

In this conversation we delve into a multitude of themes, from accessibility at coffee events to the power of people and the extreme importance of encouragement for progression, from imposter syndrome to re-baking the pie and making space for as many people as possible.

Theme song by Good News.

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Estelle Bright has been in the coffee industry for more than 20 years. After spending almost a decade at La Marzocco UK, in recent years she made the move to La Marzocco USA to become Events and Brand Experience Manager - leaving her previous life of coffee engineering behind.

Coffee competitions, unconscious bias and how exactly do you learn the skills you need to become a coffee technician? In this conversation, Estelle talks about her extensive journey through the coffee industry and how it led her from Wales to where she is now, living and working in New York.

Theme song by Good News.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.