What is Glitter Cat if we don’t find increased access to coffee knowledge?!
Each of the DiGiTiTiON competitions has a unique set of Instructors and Mentors to guide the DiGiCats through their competition and lay a foundation for continued learning! Scroll on to meet these incredible humans volunteering their time to support and educate, train, and be a sounding board of innovative competition ideas!
Click the links below to jump right to the respective competition!
BARISTA … BREWERS … COFFEE+BOOZE … TASTERS … ROASTERS … LATTE ART
BARISTA
Holly Bastin (she/her)
Co-founder Roast Ratings
Coffee is People
Coach of multiple World Champs
Instructor
Lem Butler (he/him)
US Barista Champion 2016
World Barista Comp Finalist
Co-founder Black & White Coffee
Instructor
Laila Ghambari (she/her)
US Barista Champion 2014
Director of Cafes Stumptown Coffee
Instructor
Mike Strumpf (he/him)
World Barista Head Judge
Director of Coffee, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Inc.
Instructor
Andrea Allen (she/her)
US Barista Champion 2020
Co-founder Onyx Coffee Labs
Instructor
Sam Spillman (she/her)
US Barista Champion 2019
Director of Coffee Cafe Vitta
Instructor
Em Orendorff (they/them)
Glitter Cat Barista 2019
US Barista Champ Finalist 2019
Mentor
Anthony Ragler (he/him)
Black & White Coffee
Glitter Cat Barista 2019
US Barista Champ Finalist 2020
Mentor
Oodie Taliaferro (they/them)
Glitter Cat Barista Project Manager
Glitter Cat Barista 2020
Mentor
BREWERS
Kate Blackman (she/her)
World Brewers Cup Head Judge & World Barista Judge
Instructor
Rose Woodard (she/they)
US Brewers Cup Champion 2018
Instructor
Kaley Gann (she/her)
US Brewers Cup Champion 2019
Instructor
Chelsey Walker-Watson (she/her)
US Brewers Cup Finalist 2017, 2019
Green Coffee Sales at Atlas Coffee
Instructor
Kristina Jackson (she/her)
Glitter Cat Brewer 2020
National US Brewers Cup Qualifier
Mentor
Holly Bastin (she/her)
Roast Ratings Co-founder
Coffee Is People
Instructor
Alyssa Bell (she/her)
Glitter Cat Brewer 2020
National US Brewers Cup Qualifier
Mentor
COFFEE + BOOZE
Matt Foster (he/him)
US CIGS Champion 2019
Instructor
Amanda Whitt (they/them)
NYC Coffee & Cocktail Consultant
Instructor
Rose Woodard (she/they)
US Brewers Cup Champion 2018
Instructor
Cyrenthia Ngueya (she/her)
Glitter Cat CIGS 2020
National US Coffee in Good Spirits Qualifier
Mentor
M-A Reida (they/them)
Glitter Cat CIGS 2020
National US Coffee in Good Spirits Qualifier
Mentor
DiGiCat Taster 2021
TASTERS
Jen Apodaca (she/they)
US Tasters Champion 2019
Mothertongue Coffee
Instructor & Roasting Committee
Chelsea Thoumsin (she/her)
Nashville Qualifier Tasters Champion 2020
QC for Black & White Coffee
A box-curator and fierce supporter of Getchusomegear!
Instructor
ROASTERS
Candice Madison (she/her)
Director of Roasting at The Crown Oakland
Vice President for the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity
Q-instructor
SCA AST Roasting, Sensory, Green Coffee
Writer
Instructor
Chelsey Walker-Watson (she/her)
US Brewers Cup Finalist 2017, 2019
Green Coffee Sales for Atlas Coffee Importers
Instructor
Shelby Williamson (she/her)
Head Roaster Huckleberry Coffee
US Roasters Champion 2019
Instructor
Joe Marrocco (he/him)
List & Beisler USA Executive Director
Host - Get Coffee Podcast
SCA-AST Roasting Education Content Creator
Instructor
Drew Billups (he/him)
Director of Education & QC at Atlas Coffee
Q Instructor
SCA-AST Sensory Skills Content Creator
Instructor
Emily Smith (she/her)
Novus Coffee
Glitter Cat Roaster 2020
Mentor
Sum Ngai (she/her)
Co-founder Coffee Project NY
Glitter Cat Roaster 2020
Mentor
Baylee Engberg (she/her)
Head Roaster Trailhead Coffee
Glitter Cat Roaster 2020
Mentor
LATTE ART
Christina Lee (she/her)
Glitter Cat CIGS 2020
Mentor
Adam JacksonBey (he/him)
Co-founder Go Fund Bean
Instructor & Judge
Ujae Lee (he/him)
Glitter Cat Brewer 2020
Director of Coffee at Plantshed
World Latte Art Champion 2018
Instructor & Judge
Eve Wieser (she/her)
Glitter Cat Barista 2020
Mentor