JUDGES

Mick Evans: 
Mick recently moved to Columbus from Dayton, where he was The Director of Coffee Culture at Boston Stoker (bostonstoker.com). His earliest experience in competition was in 2009, when he competed as a Barista at the GLRBC in Chicago and again in Milwaukee in 2010. Later that year, he won Boston Stoker's in-house competition. In 2011, as part of his role at Stoker, he coordinated and served as Head Judge for the annual in-house Barista Competition. He's also attended a small number of jams, throwdowns, a couple Millrock's, and some SCAA and BGA seminars and events.

Mick has visited farms in Jardin, Colombia, La Minita in Costa Rica, and Rio Negro (La Minita), also in Costa Rica (but nearly Panama!).

Currently he is working at Zen-Cha, a trailblazing tea salon in Columbus.

Kevin Popio:
Kevin has nearly 8 years of experience in the coffee industry. He currently serves as a wholesale account Manager at Stauf's Coffee Roasters in Columbus, Ohio. Kevin has worked in almost every area in the industry, starting off as a barista, working with Stauf's head roaster, and now managing many of Stauf's wholesale accounts.