I was born and raised in a small town in Iowa before moving away to college at Washington University in St. Louis. After graduation, I worked for a while in an office job in Chicago. But I missed the community that I grew up in and my family back in Iowa. I decided to move back home and follow my passion for coffee, opening a roastery and coffee shop. My first hire was Julie, who I had gone to grade school with and had not seen for over a decade. We are now engaged to be married in 2019.