ROASTERS
Meet the DiGi-Cat Roasters
Find their presentations bordered with the purply glitter background!
Tio Fallen
(he/him)
Born and raised in Decatur, GA, I played the trumpet from the age of 8 up until college, playing for the Southwest Dekalb High School Marching Band (famously known for their role in the movie “Drumline”) as well as the Florida A&M University Marching Band, “The Marching 100.” I received a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from University of Michigan and moved to Houston to take on a professional engineering career. I met who would become my wife in New York City in 2009. Over the next 11 years, we got a dog, parented two sons—Zane (age 4) and Kaio (almost 2), and started a family owned and operated coffee roasting business (Three Keys Coffee). I love: my family, roasting and drinking coffee, listening to jazz, buying sneakers, eating tacos, and creating. Top coffee memory: Traveling on a coffee origin trip to Guatemala during the summer of 2019 with a group of coffee professionals from around the country. As an up-and-coming roaster this served as a great opportunity to for me connect with local farmers and understand the processes and challenges that growers face on the front ends of the bean-to-cup process.
Morgan Russell
(they/them)
Morgan Russell got their start behind the bar in New York City eight years ago, and is now a wholesale manager and roaster in Philadelphia, and a board member of Go Fund Bean. They’ve been roasting for a little over a year, enjoying the quiet, focused work after so many years in busy cafes. They love the way it demands intuition as well as logic-- plus, they get a kick out of cooking over a really hot fire. Morgan is pumped to be a Glitter Cat, and for the DiGiTiTiOn as a creative escape. They’ll even learn to social media for it, they promise.
Stephen Zinnerman
(he/him)
Well! I'm Stephen Zinnerman and though I've lived some of everywhere, I'm originally from Augusta, GA, by way of Jacksonville, NC! I currently reside on the Northside of Fayetteville, NC. I started out in Environmental Science, which I still consider myself an Environmental Scientist/Conservationist, but coffee is definitely the front-runner. I'm a Husband & Daddy with 5 little ones, Jeremiah, Ethan, Evelyn, Emmanuel and Jonah! Started in coffee 6 years ago as a barista part-time, but always loved making it for my parents as a kid. My top 3 memories in coffee are: 1. Meeting T. Ben in Whole Foods on South Street in Philadelphia right after USBC! 2. Opening our own little mobile coffee joint! 3. The time myself and 65 year old cardiologist, Kenneth Rosenburg in Philly, did a coffee crawl, he ran circles around me! lol!! We shared an Aeropress of Kenya Nyeri at Ultimo that day.
Marissa Childers
(she/her)
My name is Marissa Childers, a proud Korean-American adoptee, lover of all things gluten, and firm believer of connection through food and drink. Though I have only been working professionally in coffee for a little over a year and a half, I have always had a fascination in the idea that a beverage (that consists of either hot or cold roasted seed particles) can link different major cultures and communities worldwide. I love that there is a coffee out there for every one, no matter the flavor profile. I also dream of a day where equitable wages, ethical working conditions, and transparent processes are the norm, and we as an industry treat one another and our homes with the integrity we each rightfully deserve. My favorite moments when working in coffee are the moments where I get to meet people. I am naturally an introvert, and not the best at holding small talk, but when I have the opportunity to learn more or nerd out about something I find awesome, I could go on forever. So, I guess you could say, on one hand, I thoroughly enjoy the moments where I have the chance to educate customers on different beans or brew methods, or even having the chance to surprise them with knowing their name (and drink). On the other hand, I love the coffee people whom I have had the honor to meet and talk to and work with, Y'ALL rule. I guess a little more about me is that I was once an aspiring designer, now I am a barista/beginner baker/dog mom so I think I have that going for me. When I am not working on bar or procrasti-baking, I am either taking naps, expressing myself through dance, experimenting with fermentation, or figuring out something else to keep the hamster wheel in my brain spinning. If you want to know more about me, don't be a stranger, and say hey!
Dathan Denton
(he/they)
Howdy there. My name's Dathan, my pronouns are he/they and I was raised in the bayou of South East Texas. I grew up and moved on to Austin, Tx where I began my journey as a coffee fan, an artist, and a cyclist. I'm sure this is very familiar to a lot of folks, but one of my favorite memories of coffee was the first washed Yirgacheffe coffees I ever drank. I legitimately couldn't comprehend the fact that it tasted like lemon. What a trip! When I moved from Texas, I met my partner, and moved to Columbus, Ohio with him. I started working for a shop that opened my eyes to a broadened approach to simple pleasures (like funk music and dance) and more sophisticated preparation/comprehension of coffee. I entered my first competitions as a sensory judge with them, and it helped solidify my passion further. After Ohio, we moved out to San Jose, California where I began working as a roaster. I've been very fortunate to have traveled and worked for so many good people that I can't pick any single experience that encapsulates those I love. The one memory above all others is any time I get to enjoy/taste a new coffee with a friend or new acquaintance. Thank you so much for having me, and I can't wait to make coffee and more memories with y'all.
Walter Ryan
(they/them)
Hello and greetings friends! I go by Walter, Walt or Walty and I use they/them pronouns but I'm comfortable with pet names like "dude", "bro", "b*tch", "queen", etc. I don't currently work in coffee but I have 7+ years of experience in the industry. Three of my favorite memories in coffee: we all know what happens when you and your besties are on bar together! One Sunday brunch morning at a fast paced, high volume south Durham favorite it was me on register with Kevin K on "the machine," Daniel and Kayla on brew bar. A fierce line up of confident baristas and finely tuned to each other nonverbal cues and body language. It's dope when your customers are cheering you on while they wait for the beverages and what nots. Slinging waffles and smoothies out the door like a well oiled machine! Give us your money please! My first day working production I was put on line one with Ben L. Ben is now one of my best friends and comrades and I'll never forget that conversation that caste our friendship in platinum: it was a messy day on the floor! Something had gone awry but we had to continue the process we were on. But blissfully and excitedly we were talking very loudly about our favorite D'Angelo songs and why his music is so fundamentally important to music innovation. One of my favorite days at work! Not my favorite day but it had a few moments I consider important to me: the award ceremony at the second company conference I attended. As much as I did not appreciate what the ceremony represented; a desperate need for change, there was an energy in the room that I enjoyed.