NCA Next Gen: We Serve the Future

Founded in 2016, the NCA Next Generation (“NCA Next Gen”) connects young professionals in the US coffee industry and provides a platform for them to learn, network, and develop as professionals. The goals of NCA Next Gen are to develop future industry leaders, create and foster a supportive and inclusive community, and provide members with resources that support their career growth. Through educational sessions, networking events, and leadership opportunities, NCA Next Gen is charting the future of the industry.

Get Involved

Active participation in NCA Next Gen offers you greater engagement with the NCA community and provides you with valuable opportunities to establish industry-wide connections. If your employer is an NCA member and you’re under 40 years of age, you are considered a member of the NCA Next Gen community. Sign up for updates on Next Gen activities. There are no additional fees for joining the NCA Next Gen, but your active participation is encouraged.

Next Gen Council & Committees

Next Gen Council consists of three officers (Past-Chair, Chair, Vice-Chair) and five council members. Non-officer council members serve as Chair or Vice-Chair on one of Next Gen’s two committees.

Communications Committee

Working with NCA communications staff, the NCA Next Gen Communications Committee is charged with the development, design, and execution of all Next Gen-related communications, including email updates, event announcements, and LinkedIn content.

Events Committee

The NCA Next Gen Events Committee organizes networking events at the NCA Convention and the SCA Expo, coordinates Next Gen educational sessions at the NCA Convention, and helps support NCA’s Coffee Gives Back: Day of Service.

Council and committee members serve two-year terms (each term begins in March and ends the following March) and meetings are held monthly. NCA accepts applications on a rolling basis and reviews applications in January.

APPLY FOR COMMITTEES

APPLY FOR NEXT GEN COUNCIL

Current Next Gen Council Members:

Johnson Chair
Nora Johnson
Director of Commodities, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA

Nora Johnson is a Commodities Manager with Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA (MZB-USA), one of the largest private label coffee manufacturers and owner of several retail coffee brands including Chock full o’Nuts®, Kauai Coffee®, Hills Bros.®, Hills Bros.® Cappuccino, Segafredo Zanetti®, MJB®, and Chase & Sanborn®. In her role, Nora manages futures and physical positions for several MZB-USA clients and is responsible for trade execution in addition to supporting the company’s responsible sourcing strategy. A Licensed Q Arabica Grader, Nora is part of MZB-USA’s dedicated green coffee cupping team.

Nora began her coffee career in 2016 as a summer intern with the Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA Commodities Department. Upon graduating summa cum laude from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2017 with a B.S. in Finance, Nora proudly joined MZB-USA full-time as an analyst and has since been promoted to Commodities Manager.

Murphy Vice Chair
Jasmine Murphy
Assistant Manager, Green Coffee Trading, The J.M. Smucker Co.

Jasmine Murphy leads the green coffee sustainability platform at The J.M. Smucker Company as part of the Green Coffee Materials team. Headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, The J.M. Smucker Co. is the largest U.S. at-home coffee company and owner of iconic brands such as Bustelo and Folgers.

Jasmine is a licensed Arabica Q Grader with over 10 years of experience in the coffee industry. She began her career in 2013 in research and development and has worked on panel training, coffee buying, logistics, and product development in liquid and soluble coffee. In her current role at JMS, she developed a deep knowledge of sustainability and is passionate about addressing the variety of issues the coffee industry faces. She attended The Ohio State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

Bawot Past Chair
Kyle Bawot
Senior Director - Coffee, OFI

Kyle Bawot is a coffee trader at ofi (olam food ingredients). His journey into the world of coffee began during his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru, where he was first exposed to coffee production and export. Upon his return to the US, Kyle joined ofi and quickly worked his way into a trading role.

Kyle holds both Q Grader and ICE Exchange Grader licenses. He continually seeks to deepen his understanding of each facet of the industry, with a special focus on the industry’s sustainability challenges.

Kyle attended Skidmore College and Fordham University, from which he earned a BA in Economics and an MA in International Political Economy, respectively.

Tim Cox
Account Director, Franke Coffee Systems

Tim is a food and beverage professional with over 15 years of experience focusing on Specialty Coffee. With a career spanning diverse roles ranging from multi-unit retail management, restaurant ownership, product development for national brands, marketing, and sales, Tim has developed his experience across multiple channels including Specialty, QSR, and Convenience. In his role at Franke Coffee Systems, Tim is responsible for business development, key account management, and go-to-market strategy for the specialty coffee channel. Tim lives with his wife and three children in the greater Nashville Metropolitan Area. When he’s not working to help more people access better coffee, Tim enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, mountain biking, and cooking.

Helena Huguley
Green Coffee Trader, Volcafe Specialty

Helena started her career in coffee 10 years ago with a comprehensive nine-month training program at Volcafe origins in Colombia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Upon completing her training, Helena returned to the United States, initially serving as a junior trader in Volcafe's California office before transitioning to their New York office. In 2016, Helena took on a sustainability role with Volcafe Costa Rica, moving to San Jose and working for the exporter for four years. Helena considers her time in Costa Rica to be some of her most formative, working throughout the supply chain from the Farmer Support Organization to export traceability. In 2020, Helena moved back to the US and worked at Mercon Specialty for two years before rejoining the Volcafe Group in 2022.

Helena holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Economics and Management from the University of Georgia. She speaks Spanish and is deeply passionate about the coffee supply chain. Helena is excited to join the Next Gen Council, where she looks forward to further serving the coffee community.

Jamie Stacey
Director of Coffee Programs, Dutch Bros Coffee

Jamie started her love for coffee as a "broista" for Dutch Bros Coffee more than a decade ago, learning how to serve customers and build relationships. She has spent the better part of her career dedicated to the company's philanthropic efforts, including the impact efforts at coffee origins. As the Director of Coffee Programs, she fosters important coffee supply chain relationships, oversees the company's responsible sourcing program, and collaborates with the key leaders of coffee operations to ensure customers at the window have the most excellent experience possible and that the future of the coffee supply is thoughtfully planned for. She is passionate about encouraging the younger, next generation of coffee leaders to have a voice and get involved.

She attended University of Oregon and holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology, and holds the Certificate of Corporate Citizenship Practice from Boston College's Carroll School of Management.

William Troy
Vice President, Commodities & Logistics, Capital Partners, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

Will works in the Commodities & Logistics group within Capital Partners at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., a private bank based in New York, New York. Will helps originate and structure commodity finance transactions and advises private companies and their owners across various commodities industries, including coffee. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. was founded in 1818 and is one of the leading coffee financing banks in the world. Will first started drinking coffee (graduating from tea) during the pandemic, and now drinks (at least!) two cups a day. He received a B.Sc. in economics and Spanish from Centre College in Kentucky and an M.Sc. in economics from the Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Portugal. He is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Portuguese.

Mike Vilarino
Director of Finance and Procurement, Baronet Coffee

Mike began his coffee career in 2021 after working on Wall Street, most recently at Jefferies in the Special Situations Group. At Baronet, he manages green coffee buying and oversees Finance, while actively engaging in the National Coffee Association’s Next Gen group. Through his involvement with the NCA, he has built strong industry connections and worked to support the next generation of coffee professionals. Mike is eager to continue fostering growth and engagement throughout the next generation community. A Fordham University graduate with a BS in Finance, he is passionate about coffee and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter outside of work.