Nicholas Cho, Lead Instructor

(니코라스 조 / 조근형) Nicholas Cho is the brewing, barista training, and retailing specialist for Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to that, Nicholas founded ‘murky coffee’ in Washington DC, which quickly emerged as one of the premier coffeebars in the United States. Over the past few years, Nicholas served as a director on the Barista Guild of America’s Executive Council, on the SCAA’s Board of Directors, and on the World Barista Championship Board of Directors. He was the US Barista Championship Chairman, and has been the emcee for numerous events, including the World Barista Championship. He was also the 2007 US Southeast Regional Barista Champion. He currently serves on the SCAA Standards Committee, and hosts a podcast for coffee industry professionals at Portafilter.net.

Trish Rothgeb, Lead Instructor

Trish has experience in the industry that spans over 20 years in both the US and Norway as a coffee roaster, green coffee buyer, and teacher of all things coffee. An avid traveler in coffee growing regions worldwide, she teaches cupping and roasting to coffee producers and coffee professionals around the world.

Trish is a licensed Q Grader and credentialed Q Instructor by the Coffee Quality Institute. She has served on the SCAA’s Roasters Guild Executive Council, was a charter member of the World Barista Championship Board of Directors and a founding member of the Barista Guild of America. She has served on the International Jury at the Cup of Excellence numerous times, and head judge for regional Taste of Harvest events. Currently, Trish is the green coffee buyer, and roastmaster for Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters.

Gunnhild Seljenes, Assistant Instructor

Gunnhild Seljenes has worked in the specialty coffee industry for over 10 years. She was the 2005 Norwegian Barista Champion and a 2005 World Barista Championship Finalist. She has served as a judge for the Norwegian Barista Championship and as the Head Judge for the Russian Barista Championship in 2009. Gunnhild has also been on the International Jury for multiple Cup of Excellence competitions. She currently lives in Nashville, TN.

Katie Duris, Assistant Instructor

For the past eight years Katie Duris has worked in specialty coffee as a barista, barista trainer and consultant. She worked as a trainer at murky coffee in Washington DC. and at Bluebird Coffeeshop in New York City. She has volunteered with the SCAA, twice competed at the US Barista Championship and was the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Barista Champion. She’s currently supporting the craft of good coffee from her home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Colin Whitcomb

Colin’s coffee experience began in 2006 at Alterra Coffee in Milwaukee, WI. In 2008 he began competing in barista competitions and earned a berth in the semi-final round of the 2009 US Barista Championship. He was also finalist in the 2010 US Great Lakes Regional Barista Competition. Colin has also been privileged to work as part of Coffee Common serving coffee at the 2011 TED Conference and currently sits on the Editorial Advisory Board of Barista Magazine.

Laila Ghambari, Assistant Instructor

Laila is a barista at Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Portland, Oregon. Prior to that she worked at Barista in Portland, Urban Coffee Lounge in Seattle. She has also been a Northwest Regional Barista Competition top-3 finalist two times.

Jessica Blauvelt, Assistant Instructor

Jessica has over eight years experience working in specialty coffee, ranging from working with roaster manufacturers to guiding and training fledging baristas. She began in coffee working for New Harmony Coffee & Tea in Clearwater, Fla. transitioning to the much loved murky coffee in Washington, DC. Jessica currently manages Third Rail Coffee in New York City where she has been since its debut in 2009.

Julie Housh, Assistant Instructor

Julie works with World Coffee Events, the organizers of the World Barista Championship and various other world championships of coffee. In Washington DC, she worked as a barista at Peregrine Espresso, and is currently the Secretary of the Barista Guild of America Executive Council.