Coffee and Technology Podcast

Eli Salomon is a co-founder of Ground Control Coffee, an innovative batch brewer that helps cafes maintain consistency, efficiency, and quality. Eli has a background in law and is now a successful entrepreneur in the coffee industry.

What it's all about: Brewing coffee has become more and more innovative, with a plethora of brewing technologies coming to market for cafes and consumers worldwide. Eli tells us about his vision for Ground Control, his passions in coffee, and the successes he's had from his experience at Ground Control.

Learn more about Ground Control Coffee: https://www.groundcontrol.coffee/

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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In this episode, we speak with our dear friend Vera Espíndola. Vera is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Azahar Coffee and sits on the board of the Specialty Coffee Association. Vera’s research and work across the coffee industry has recently been a part of her work and involvement in the Sustainable Coffee Buyer's Guide. Join us as we discuss how coffee producers and coffee origins are affected through price and domestic consumption.

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Learn more about Azahar Coffee: https://azaharcoffee.com/

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The current power dynamics in coffee are complex and still widely challenged by many in the industry. Norbert, Nick, and Daniel Mendoza discuss what the power dynamics currently look like and how more players across the supply chain can be empowered via knowledge.

Daniel Mendoza is the Sales Manager for North America and Oceania at Cropster. He has worked in different areas of the supply chain in coffee, tea, and flowers. With his experience, he brings a unique perspective to understanding the current power dynamics in the coffee industry and how it can change for the better.

Follow Daniel on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/oigaperoque/

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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Gregory Ward is the founder of Bridge City Coffee, a coffee shop and coffee roaster in Greenville, South Carolina, that focuses on building community through quality coffee and employment opportunities. Greg is also a founder of the Bridge Fund, which provides financial support for his employees related to health, transportation, housing, and education.

What it's all about: Entrepreneurship with a social purpose has its own challenges when building a profitable and scalable business. Greg gives us an understanding of what it means to be an entrepreneur that is focused on social impact and the how coffee is a driver of social progress.

Learn more about Bridge City Coffee: https://www.bridgecity.coffee/

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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Coffee subscriptions and virtual coffee tastings are becoming more and more popular among coffee consumers. Suyog Mody, a founder of Driftaway Coffee, tells his story about why he started a subscription model coffee business and his successes of offering virtual tastings throughout the pandemic. And for all of our data gurus, Norbert and Suyog outline the importance of data collection, data management, and data privacy when creating an infrastructure to support a coffee subscription platform.

Learn more about Driftaway Coffee: https://driftaway.coffee/

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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George Howell is the founder of New England-based George Howell Coffee. George is a true pioneer of the specialty coffee movement and has been at the forefront of every major industry shift, including his founding of the Cup of Excellence. George has also been an industry leader in freezing coffee.

What it's all about: It's a pleasure to learn more about George's story in specialty coffee and how his progressive outlook on the industry has had a positive impact on what we know as specialty coffee. He also lays a clear understanding of the benefits of freezing coffee and what the future holds for freezing coffee.

Learn more about George Howell Coffee: https://www.georgehowellcoffee.com/

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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Albert is a Senior Vice President of Trading at StoneX. Stone X is a financial services company and is among one of the largest commission commodity houses in the world. Albert’s expertise spans across commodity brokerage in the commodity futures markets. Albert brings a wealth of financial knowledge into the coffee industry and has spent a lot of time educating coffee professionals around the world on futures trading and hedging in coffee. Enjoy as Albert gives an in-depth and easy to digest discussion on market volatility and the recent market affects from Brazil’s frosts.

Learn more about StoneX: https://www.stonex.com/

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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In the 21st century, company culture and work/life balance are front and center of the coffee and tech sectors. And now with remote work and other life changes because of the covid-19 pandemic, the way we approach and navigate our work environment is important now more than ever. Nick and Norbert discuss what it means to have a healthy company culture and what it takes for businesses/leaders to strengthen and define their company culture. Who knows, we might even discuss shorter work weeks. Grab a coffee and sit with your team as we discuss the most humane parts of a company’s culture in the coffee and tech industries!

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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Marcus Young is the Demand Generation Manager at Cropster where develops content, events, and educational programs. He is a certified Q-Grader, an authorized SCA trainer, and has over 15 years of industry experience. During his time with Sustainable Harvest, he was based in Rwanda sourcing E. African coffees and developing a market for coffee in Rwanda. Marcus brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this episode.

What it's all about: With Marcus' extensive experience, he will give us insights into what coffee education means and how tech has played a significant role in accelerating the learning process in the specialty coffee industry. His anecdotes from his career in coffee give some great insight into how far the industry has come, but also the work that still needs to be done.

Follow Marcus on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/marcuswyoung/

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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QR codes have been around for quite some time and still have more potential for real-life application, especially in the coffee industry. Norbert and Nick give a brief history of QR codes, where they are today, and where they will be in the future. They'll also apply this understanding and explore the role of QR codes in the specialty coffee industry.

Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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Learn more about Cropster: https://www.cropster.com/solutions/

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