Ada Chou is a multifaceted engineering professional while pursuing her passion in coffee as a barista at a local coffee shop on the weekends. She loves experimenting with different brewing methods, and immerses in the joy of creating signature drinks. During her free time, Ada also TNR community cats and foster friendly strays. She is happily married with 4 cats of their own.

I am Ashlynne; A young and curious coffee enthusiast and barista from Raleigh, North Carolina. I have a deep passion for hospitality, science, and math, and I love the ability to harmonize these disciplines through coffee.

My name is Eric Jara, I am a business administrator and I have been working in the coffee industry for 15 years in the different coffee producing regions of Peru. I am the Peru Cup Taster Champion 2023 and I currently supporting small producers to improve their quality for international competitions and I help young people by training them in cupping for the national cupping competition in Peru.
I am a coffee lover, and the ORIGAMI is my favorite dripper because it contrasts with the quality of coffee I work with to compete in my country, obtaining good results.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas. I've been in specialty coffee for around 7 years working for Greenway Coffee, 3 Keys Coffee, Blend In Coffee Club among others. I've competed at Coffee Fest and SCA for Latte art and our local Texas throwdowns. I also self publish a Coffee zine titled "The Pour Over" and have been a cover artist for Coffee People Zine" #21.

I love working in coffee and getting to be inspired by those around me every day.

I’ve been working in coffee for little over 10 years. I started in chains and worked up to specialty. While working I discovered my love for filter coffee, and competitions. I competed for the first time in the April Brewers Cup in Los Angeles and placed first. For me this was a huge moment in my life, I’ve since started a micro roaster Popup in my hometown of Lafayette, LA and have started judging USBC.

Justin Best is a Houston-based professional clarinetist with a strong passion for beverages. A graduate of The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, he performs frequently with the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet orchestras. Justin’s beverage exploration started with a deep dive into tea, then cocktails and whiskey. After a natural Bolivian at Prufrock in London opened his eyes to the possibilities of pour over, he has found joy in learning, tinkering, tasting, and home brewing. Bringing a balance of craft and creativity from musical life, Justin is excited for his first foray into brewing competitions.

Kristina currently lives in Philadelphia, PA, and has been an active participant in the coffee community for over 10 years. She is a previous Glitter Cat, and prides herself as the first Black Woman to compete in the USCC Brewer's Cup finals in 2020. She has also participated as a USCC Brewer's Judge for the past 3 seasons.

Leticia Pollock is the co-founder of Panther Coffee, a specialty coffee company known for its direct relationships with producers and commitment to quality. She has spent over a decade fostering coffee culture through education, sensory exploration, and community engagement. Inspired by her experiences in motherhood, gastronomy, and global cultures, she loves developing and deepening mutually beneficial connections that foster growth.

My name is Mar and I am a coffee professional from Atlanta, Georgia! I have worked as a barista and educator for many years and now work as a roaster, mobile service, and consultant. I have been a part of USCC comittees and competitions and deeply value community. I love coffee in all of its forms and can't wait to brew it next to lovely coffee people.

Born in Seattle, WA at the perfect time to fall in love with specialty coffee and music. I have a unique way of looking at the world, a wildly creative imagination, and dreams of one day making a positive impact within and outside of the coffee industry. Any time you get to share a coffee experience with someone else is a good day. I hope to bring all that I’ve learned into this competition, and I’m happy to leave it all on the table.

Mitchell has worked in Specialty Coffee since 2017 as a barista, cafe manager and coffee educator. In this time, he has participated in coffee competition spaces as a volunteer, competitor and coach. He is currently serving coffee in the San Francisco Bay Area, and runs his own Coffee Consulting Business.

My name is Mohsin Uddin, and I grew up in Jamaica, Queens, the world's borough. First and foremost, I love Queens, the borough I represent, and I love New York. Coffee has been an integral part of my life since I was a kid. A joke we often shared was that a New York kid is probably the most stressed kid because you rarely see a child ordering coffee with half-and-half and two sugars in middle school.

I started my journey in a small local coffee shop, which led me down a fascinating rabbit hole and ultimately to the founding of Queens Qoffee Qollective. Recently, I began roasting coffee for my borough and for the wonderful people who live here, using coffee from the countries they hail from. We have a rich tapestry of cultures in Queens, and I felt it was a great idea to showcase this diversity through the coffee of their native origins

Degenerates Drinking Coffee represents a brand and alias used by Q Arabica Grader, Nicholas Ginter; a former infantryman and non-commissioned officer in the United States Army. He is also the host of the series "Coffee or Die", a Black Rifle Coffee Company production.

Hey! My name is Tyler and I am a home coffee brewer. I got into specialty coffee in 2020 and mainly brew with espresso, pour over, and aeropress at home. I also love to explore coffee events near home. I was fortunate to get 3rd place at the 2023 US Aeropress competition and have attended, competed, or judged some of the USCC competitions. I love how competition helps focus my brew efforts to chase certain flavors and profiles.

I'm Young, founder of Masterpiece Coffee. We are a specialty micro roaster based in Bay Area, CA. I founded the company in June 2024, after working in the industry for over 7 years. We focused on Asian flavors and asian coffee producing countries.

Hi, I’m Vincent Chen, I am the head roaster and head barista at Elm Roastery based out of Elmhurst, Queens. While I love pour over coffee, my area of study right now is Kyoto Ice Drip Coldbrew.

Zach Steele is a U.S. Army veteran turned barista, turned roaster. After attending UNT as a Jazz Studies major, Zach won a spot with the US Army Jazz Ambassadors. Both his military service and his ongoing side career as a Jazz musician shape his outlook on coffee. Now owner of Talavera Coffee along with his wife Joanna, he focuses on building community with those who share his love of Mexican coffees. As an avid learner, roasting was always an inevitability in his coffee journey and the competition circuits are a sure fire way to learn and grow.