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Instructors
Coffee shared with a friend is happiness
“If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go with others.”
Erin Bellamy
Erin currently serves as the founder and owner of two successful specialty coffee shops in Central New Jersey. Subsequent to receiving her Master’s Degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology, Erin went on to an eventful and thriving career as trainer and content developer in New York and London for several multi-national banks.
These past nine years have truly been transformational for Erin as her focus has shifted to entrepreneurship in the coffee industry. In addition to founding two coffee shops, she also serves as a roaster of her own product for which she plays a critical role in its procurement. She truly is a testament to the “bean to cup” movement.
Erin’s schedule, while super busy, does allow for some downtime where she enjoys quality time with her two young daughters and the occasional round of golf.
Madison Malchiodi
Madison currently has a leadership role serving as a supervisor at one of New York City’s premier and most successful cafes, Ralph’s Coffee owned by Ralph Lauren. She obtained a certificate in Hospitality Management from the Institute of Culinary Education, a leading culinary school in NYC, and has worked in the coffee industry for seven years. Prior to joining Ralph’s, she worked at Starbucks for several years as a barista, barista trainer, and supervisor.
She has a true passion for coffee and is right at home when she is behind the coffee bar directing a team of baristas. Her passions and dreams manifest themselves in her desire and hope to one day be a cafe owner herself. Madison believes that great customer service, building customer loyalty, and an efficient cafe design as well as barista skills, a positive attitude, and attention to detail all play an important role in the success of a coffee business. When she gets time off from work, Madison enjoys traveling, visiting coffee farms, and photography.
Ron Naples
Ron is an Associate Professor of Hospitality at the New York University, School of Professional Studies, Tisch Center of Hospitality. Professor Naples has been at NYU since 1990. He has earned many industry accolades throughout his career. Amongst these recognitions, he is a recipient of the NYU Distinguished Teacher Award, the school’s highest teaching honor, the NYU Distinguished Service Award, and the Mel Hosansky Award, the conference center industry’s highest honor for service excellence.
Ron has held senior management positions in corporate hospitality including food and beverage and events at Viacom International, Shearson Lehman Brothers, Smith Barney Shearson, Millennium-Copthorne Hotels and Naples Franchising Group. He has consulted in hospitality to American Express, The World Bank Group, Alliance and other large and small companies.
Ron is passionate when it comes to quality customer service and providing a quality product. He believes that the customer experience is the key to success in business and that it all begins with a strong plan and a great cup of coffee. Ron enjoys theater and travel, especially to Vermont. His passion is helping others find the belief in themselves to accomplish their dreams.
Sal Russo
Sal is the owner and founder of Plaza House Coffee. Plaza House Coffee is a grassroots start-up coffee distributor started in 1982 that has grown into a successful thriving business serving customers ranging from small local businesses to large corporations. In search of finding and sourcing the highest quality coffees, he has traveled to coffee farms all over the world and has created alliances with farmers and importers, and partnered with small buying groups, to ensure the stability of the coffees he distributes to his customers. Over the years, he also gained expertise in the purchase, repair, and maintenance of high-performance coffee brewing equipment. His products and services are distributed throughout North America.
For the past 40 years, he has been a leader, teacher, and advocate for all specialty coffee. His vast experience in coffee products and equipment has been instrumental in assisting others in opening and operating many successful cafes and coffee shops. Sal’s many interests include hiking, bicycling, playing the drums, and spending time with his family.
Faith Whitfield
Faith currently serves as a manager at one of central New Jersey’s most exciting and thriving cafés. As manager, her role is to oversee staff, and operations and to collaborate with her customers to achieve a unique café experience within every cup. In her three years at the café, her career trajectory from barista to barista trainer, to manager has been nothing short of amazing. Faith attributes much of her success with clients to the belief in using a high-quality coffee bean, a never-ending thirst for coffee knowledge, and a strong belief in her customers and their holistic experience. When Faith finally gets some time to herself, she enjoys hiking with her dogs, reading historical fiction, and catching up on her creative projects.
Katie Rogers
Katie serves as the Lead Barista at the Ralph’s Coffee flagship location on Madison Avenue in New York City where she’s used her last seven and a half years as a barista and supervisor to develop their education program. She’s also had the privilege of crafting beverages that have been sold at Ralph’s Coffee locations nationwide. With a degree in Musical Theatre and a minor in Screenwriting from Point Park University, Katie knows the coffee industry is full of
people with unique backgrounds, all united by their passion for coffee. With an eye on coffee’s storied and often obscured history, Katie’s passion is in teaching others about this awesome product, and ensuring the future of coffee is full of baristas and coffee enthusiasts with a deep respect for this humble plant. In her free time, Katie likes to cross stitch, write comedy, and hang out with her cats.
Juan Martinez
Juan’s journey with coffee began amidst the vibrant atmosphere of New York City’s cinema scene, where he managed a total of nine theaters, including iconic venues like the Angelika Film Center in SoHo and the Paris Theater in Mid-town. It was during this time that Juan was introduced to the world of coffee and café operations, crafting cinematic experiences while also perfecting espresso shots behind the scenes. This experience laid the foundation for his seamless transition into leading several high volume Starbucks locations. Currently, he works with a coffee mobile cart operator as he continues to immerse himself in the craft. Drawing from his diverse experiences and entrepreneurial ventures, Juan is passionate about sharing his journey and knowledge as a barista instructor, guiding others toward excellence in this thriving field. Join Juan in exploring the endless possibilities of coffee mastery. Outside of work, Juan enjoys cooking and exploring nature through hiking trails.
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