ABOUT ME

My interest in coffee first began while working as a barista in college, then only grew while doing qualitative research in coffee-centric Indonesia during graduate school. After graduating I lived in Istanbul, Turkey and fell further in love with the coffee culture there. Shortly after returning to the US, I began working at Equator Coffee in the SF Bay Area, where I had my true introduction to specialty coffee. A couple of years later, I became a coffee consultant at Boot Coffee Consulting. There I had the privilege of working on numerous projects spanning the coffee industry. I spent my time marketing ultra high quality, direct-trade coffees to boutique roasters in the US while also teaching roasting courses to students from around the globe. I was also the Giesen Coffee Roasters representative in North America for 5 years. I started Gather Coffee Company, along with my business partner Jodi Wieser, in 2015, where I handled the marketing and design work, as well as roasting projects for private clients. I have worked with numerous coffee wholesalers and retailers to create unique coffee programs - from sourcing to roasting to brewing. 

Now, at Pedal Coffee Roasters, I'm excited to put my expertise to work to bring specialty coffee to our community. - Marlee Benefield