I’ve been a working tea professional for 20 years and my career is centered in tea training and education, which is unique for my field.
Here’s a little peek at where I’ve been in that time…
Current work + projects
BEING TEA, Founder (2015 – Current)
Online tea education classes + membership community; Teacher Training program; Private training engagements
View my Press + Published Works, featuring Being Tea in articles, interviews, and podcasts
WINNER: Best Tea Educator, World Tea Awards (2018)
Recent clients and engagements include:
CHICAGO (my home city)
I Grow Chicago
UIC (Critical Care initiative)
Deloitte
Tejas Yoga
Inner Sense Healing Arts
Room to Breathe
US NATIONAL
Meta / Facebook
Harvard Divinity School
Penn State University
Duke University
Florida State University
Salesforce
SharkNinja
Frequent workshop presenter and speaker at:
World Tea Expo
PDX Tea Fest (Portland, OR)
San Jose Tea Festival (San Jose, CA)
Northwest Tea Festival (Seattle, WA)
Midwest Tea Festival (Kansas City, MO)
NY Coffee & Tea Festival (Brooklyn, NYC)
Chicago International Tea Festival (Chicago, IL)
Previous work experience + projects
Tea companies I’ve worked for:
Paper & Tea | Director Tea Procurement & Training
Feb 2015 – Dec 2016
Rishi Tea | Director of Education & Brand Strategist
Jan 2012 – Dec 2014
Adagio Teas | Training & Education Director
Aug 2010 – Jan 2012
Peet’s Coffee & Tea | Field Trainer; Barista Trainer
Oct 2003 – Aug 2010
Tea industry organizations I’ve been a part of:
Tea Masters Cup International | Certified National Judge, USA (2019 cycle)
American Specialty Tea Alliance | Deputy Executive Director, Co-Founder (2018 – 2020)
Tea Journey Magazine | Education Director, Founding staff member, Contributor (June 2016)
World Tea Academy | Curriculum contributor, Advisory Board member, guest instructor (2013 – 2018)
Specialty Tea Institute | Instructor, Board of Directors (2006 – 2013)
Global Tea Championship | Judge, senior advisor (2008 – 2018)
Invited speaker and guest for conferences in:
Hanoi, Vietnam (2019)
Shenzhen, China (2019)
Krakow, Poland (2016)
Seoul, Korea (2013)
View my complete profile on LinkedIn
Non-tea work experience and studies
Certified Trauma-Informed Yoga and Meditation Teacher | 200-hr+ YTT
Training through Room to Breathe Psychotherapy and Yoga (2018 -2019)
Continuing Yoga and Meditation Education:
– Accessible Yoga for Older Adults, with Accessible Yoga School, 21-hrs
– 8-week Meditation Training with Yoga for Arthritis
– Science of the Private Lesson YTT, with Francesca Cervero, 20-hrs
– Dharma Rebellion (I & II) 8-week series, Intro to Bhakti Yoga, Intersection of Yoga and Religion, and other CE workshops with Hari-Kirtana das
– Apocalyptic Grief series, with Lama Rod Owens
– Spirituality in Education intensive with the Awakened Schools Institute, at Teacher’s College, Columbia University
– Sacred Cosmology of the Body, Grief as a Super Power, and other yoga nidra series, with Yoli Maya Yeh
– Total Yoga Nidra immersion course, through Yoga Nidra network (Uma Dinsmore-Tuli and Nirlipta Tuli)
– Several online winter retreats with Magnolia Grove Monastery
– Trauma-informed yoga training, with Prison Yoga Chicago
Journalism and Live Television Production
Broadcast News Producer and Assoc. Producer (Jul 1999 – Oct 2003)
KVVU (Las Vegas, NV) and KOIN (Portland, OR)
You can work with me, too!
Recognize your business on this list?
Small tea business owners
Corporate and employee wellness
Community organizations
Healthcare / integrative medicine
Coffee roasters and baristas
Tea wholesale / importers
University events and clubs
Hospitality and culinary
Product development and technology
