Effectively training up an apprentice roaster is key not only to your succession, the growth of your business, and the consistency of your quality, -but providing a great learning environment and approach to education and coaching will push the whole industry forward. 

The key is to not only deliver processes, rules, and systems, but also opportunity for contribution, conversation, and room for your trainee to grow in maturity. 

These are just some of the powerful things discussed in this Rate of Rise episode featuring, Steve Lee!

Steve Lee began his coffee career in 1996 as a barista at Peet’s Coffee in the San Francisco Bay Area. After spending a number of years in the Training & Education Department of Peet’s, he moved on to help open the Roasting and QC Department at Intelligentsia Coffee’s Los Angeles Roasting Works, where he developed his love for the craft of roasting. Since then he has worked on a number of consultancy projects, worked as the Director of Coffee for Groundwork and the SPC Group in Korea, worked as a green importer for Odyssey Coffees, and has served as a judge for international coffee competitions. Throughout his coffee career, the main focus has been on craftsmanship, education, and fostering relationships across the supply chain for the betterment of the coffee industry as a whole. Steve spent two terms on the Roasters Guild Executive Council where he had served as the Vice Chair to the Education Committee and Vice Chair to the Events Committee, focusing on creating content for the RG Origin Trips.  Steve is currently the C.O.O. of Linea Caffe, a micro-roastery based in San Francisco, CA.

In this conversation we discuss Steve's own now 25 year journey in being trained, becoming an educator, and the way he would love to see learning take place in roasteries that can deliver the most value for both the one being trained and the roasting company itself. 

Links:

https://www.pocketknifecoffee.com/

https://lineacaffe.com/

Related episodes:

RoR Live! w/ Anne Cooper 

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