AJ WILLETT
AJ is our Head of Education at Ferris. His daily tasks include training our baristas, educating our staff, training our wholesale customers, and leading classes for the general public about all things coffee.
AJ has not only competed in several competitions hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association, but has also helped organize and host regional qualifying events for the Brewer’s Cup and Barista Competition at Ferris. He has also helped to develop the Coffee in Good Spirits competition through the SCA, and currently serves on the working group. AJ has travelled to coffee growing countries for Ferris and is also a member of our sensory team focused on selection and quality control. Most recently, AJ passed the testing to become a licensed Q-grader in 2021.
In his spare time, AJ enjoys traveling and eating obscure food, serving up a mean ping-pong serve, owning old motorcycles that are often broken, and all kinds of pizzas.
SAM MIRTO
Sam is the Vice President of Coffee Operations at Ferris. In this role, he sources our green coffee, oversees our roasting and packing operations, and oversees our service department. He is a licensed Q-Grader, and has participated in judging coffee brewing competitions through the Specialty Coffee Association.
For his duties in sourcing, he travels to coffee growing countries to meet with our suppliers, build relationships with our partners, and makes selections for our annual coffee needs. He also performs quality control through grading and cupping once the green coffee arrives at Ferris.
Outside of work, Sam enjoys cooking, brewing and drinking beer, eating spicy chicken wings, and playing in his neighborhood soccer league.