Ellie Hudson-Matuszak

Vice-President of Training & Operations

Ellie Hudson-Matuszak is our Vice President of Training & Operations. Ellie specializes in curriculum and training system development for staff and wholesale customer training programs as well as teaching courses for coffee professionals and consumers. Ellie's experience in the coffee industry began with Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, where she was the Director of Training & Knowledge. She earned a B.A. in Linguistics from Northwestern University in 2002.

Ellie is active in the Specialty Coffee industry and has enjoyed serving in the industry in many capacities, including as a volunteer instructor for Coffee Corps, teaching in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia on various assignments since 2005. She also currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and is Chair of the SCAA Training Committee.

Ellie has also enjoyed success in the United States Barista Championship (USBC), as a Regional Champion in 2004-05 and as a 2-time USBC finalist in 2005 and 2006.

Originally from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Ellie is a lifelong sports fan and enjoys playing beach volleyball and tennis, as well as hiking and roller blading. Ellie plays the viola in the Beach Cities Symphony Orchestra and is an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor for Spanish-speakers. She currently resides in Hermosa Beach, California with her husband Pete.

Curriculum Vitae for Ellie Hudson-Matuszak

Employment

Coffee Solutions, Los Angeles, CA & Boston, MA, 2007-present
Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA, 1999-2007

Education

Northwestern University Bachelor of Arts, Linguistics 2002

Experience

• Vice President of Training & Operations, Coffee Solutions
  
• Director of Training & Knowledge, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea West Coast Sales & Barista Training, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea
  • Creation and development of training curriculum specialized for staff, wholesale customers/retailers, and the public
  • Training and consultation with hundreds of coffee retailers throughout North America
  • Comprehensive staff training for opening of Intelligentsia retail locations
  • Hiring and management of several training specialists
  • Creation and implementation of overall coffee programs for companies of all sizes
  • Sales and account management for 5-state territory

Skills

• Leadership of groups of all sizes and skill levels
• Spanish-language training
• Espresso blend creation and evaluation
• Training and operations manual development
• Training curriculum and systems development
• Retail and barista lab consultation
• World Barista Championship-format barista competition training

Awards

• Great Lakes Regional Barista Championship, first place 2004-05
• United States Barista Championship, finalist, 2005 and 2006
  

Professional Affiliations

• Board of Directors, Specialty Coffee Association of America, 2007-present
• Training Committee Chair, Specialty Coffee Association of America, 2007-present
• Barista Guild of America Executive Council 2004-2007 (Chair 2006-07)
• Instructor, Coffee Corps, part of Coffee Quality Institute
• Instructor, Coffee Fest Trade Shows

List of published works and references available upon request