Tina is a native Floridian born in Hollywood Florida and has spent the majority of her life in the High Springs/Trenton area. As the oldest of 8 she has always been Customer Service oriented, you have to be with that many siblings. She has 3 children and 6 grandchildren. Her Nannie is still running the show at a spry young age of 106! Growing up on her grandparents 80 acre farm, she is no stranger to hard work and dedication. From working the fields at a young age to driving a school bus to waiting tables. An entrepreneur at heart, she opened her eclectic shop in High Springs. Loves camping, outdoor cooking and entertaining. She began her coffee career in 2010 when she started working with her daughter at Sweetwater. She loves to travel, has been to Guatemala and Peru as part of her Coffee job experience. It has been one of the most rewarding career experiences and would not trade it for anything. She even convinced Larry to come in and lend a hand for a couple of days… years later..he is still there 😊and is the head roaster/trainer at Sweetwater.
Tripp is the CEO of Cafe Campesino and Sweetwater Organic Coffee and currently serves on the boards of Cooperative Coffees and Georgia Organics. With over 25 years of experience in international business and development, he is deeply committed to the cooperative business model, fair trade and organic farming. Tripp started his career in Americus, GA as Habitat for Humanity International’s PR coordinator for the 1990 Jimmy Carter Work Project in Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, California - an opportunity that would lead him to join brothers Bill and Lee Harris as a co-owner of Cafe Campesino in 2004. Tripp has lived and worked in South America and has worked on a variety of business ventures in Latin America, Europe and Asia. He received a BA from Tufts University and an MA in International Development from the American University’s School of International Service in Washington DC.
Larry was born in Talladega, Alabama. At the age of 10 moved to Jacksonville Florida and shortly after his senior year he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in March of 1968. After his 4-year enlistment and 13-month tour in Vietnam, he returned to attend Florida Junior College in Jacksonville working at King Edward’s Cigar factory, a cabinet and fixture fabrication shop, cross-match lab at a blood bank and finally Carpentry. Larry attained his Sub-Contractor’s License and started running his own crews framing stilt houses in the Hernando Florida area.
During his years in construction, Larry became excited about scuba diving, rolling into cave diving, exploring some of the deepest, water-filled caves in the continental United States. Larry became an instructor teaching Cave and mixed-gas diving, training divers to safely dive these beautiful overhead environments. Larry sat on the Board of Directors of an international training agency for cave diving as the training director for 15 years.
In 2013, Larry was a photographer with a motorcycle club that was producing a club calendar and that’s when Larry met Tina, becoming the best of friends. Tina made the calendar. In November 2017, Sweetwater was a bit short-handed, and Tina invited Larry to help at the roastery on a part time basis. Larry got hooked and started roasting full time for Sweetwater in February 2018.
A lifelong creator and coffee enthusiast, Vinnie Fiorello brings his passion for storytelling and community building to Sweetwater Organic Coffee. While best known for his two decades as drummer/lyricist of Less Than Jake and co-founding Fueled By Ramen Records, Vinnie's journey in the coffee world grew from appreciation to advocacy. His role in creative development and social media at Sweetwater combines his love for ethical sourcing, artistic expression, and connecting people through shared experiences, he continues to pursue various creative projects that bring people together through art, music, and of course, great coffee.
Matt Earley first met small-scale coffee farmers in Chiapas, Mexico in 1997. For over 20 years he has worked in the fair trade/organic coffee industry wandering the world meeting farmers, roasters, and other fellow travelers. After collaborating and traveling with Café Campesino and Sweetwater through their importing cooperative Cooperative Coffees for years, he officially joined the team as Director of Sales, Marketing, and Community in 2021. When he's not immersed in all things coffee he enjoys playing music, being active outdoors, and spending time with his family and big old dogs.
Geoffrey's journey began with travels across all fifty states, joining fellow seekers in spreading messages of peace, including those of Peace Pilgrim. After discovering his passion for web development during post-Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans, he established his own web design business, Lowthian Design, supporting the work of non-profits and other cause-based efforts. In 2013, a coffee trip to Guatemala changed the course of his life. Finding both love and purpose there, he made the decision to put down roots in Guatemala, where he continues to live today with his husband and their three dogs. His combination of technical expertise and life lessons allows him to create digital solutions for organizations working toward positive change.
