Julien Langevin
A Better Table Podcast
Julien Langevin is the 2022 US Cup Tasters Champion, founder of the , and an outspoken advocate for mental health and trans rights. In this episode, Langevin discusses the recovery process after a mental health episode, and the stigma around mental health. . A Better Table is sponsored by .
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Jessica Lui
A Better Table Podcast
Umeko Motoyoshi interviews Vancouver, BC-based Slothee Coffee founder Jessica Lui on the latest episode of A Better Table. Lui specializes in a form of latte art known as etching (when tools are used after milk is poured to draw and/or sculpt) and creates incredible works of colorful art. With Slothee Coffee, Lui teaches latte art classes, organizes coffee service pop-ups, and works as a photographer and content-creator. This episode is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series.
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Morgan Eckroth
A Better Table Podcast
You might know Oregon-based coffee professional Morgan Eckroth from their wildly popular @morgandrinkscoffee and and . You might know Morgan Eckroth as the Director of Content at . You might even know Morgan as the and the . And if you don’t know Morgan? Listen to the latest episode of A Better Table with Umeko Motoyoshi! A Better Table is sponsored by .
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Suni Reid Of Auntie’s Coffee
A Better Table Podcast
In this episode, Motoyoshi interviews Mx. Suni Reid, founder of in West Hollywood, California.
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Marissa Childers
A Better Table Podcast
Welcome to a new episode of A Better Table, a podcast on the Sprudge Media Network where host talks to guests and discusses social, economic, and environmental sustainability. "Sustainability means a lot of different things, but here are my guiding questions, the questions I want to explore," explains Motoyoshi. "What sustains communities? What sustains relationships? What sustains your heart?" In this episode, Motoyoshi interviews Marissa Childers, founder of and co-founder of . Marissa Childers is a member of the Sprudge Twenty class of 2022—, and listen for a lively...
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Ashley Rodriguez
A Better Table Podcast
In this episode, Motoyoshi interviews Ashley Rodriguez. "Ashley is a ," says Motoyoshi, "creator and host of Boss Barista podcast, my friend—which is such an honor—and an all around really powerful, but also gentle and also creative and funny figure in coffee who's so important to the community in terms of putting ideas out there for people to chew on about social sustainability and also all kinds of sustainability."
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Julien Langevin
A Better Table Podcast
In this episode, Motoyoshi interviews Julien Langevin (he/them) from in Portland, Maine. Langevin goes on to compete in the this week in Milan.
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Sonam Parikh Of Mina's World
A Better Table Podcast
Motoyoshi interviews Sonam Parikh of in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sonam Parikh is the co-founder of Mina's World, a Philadelphia cafe with an innovative menu, a beautiful selection of local handmade goods, and thriving community ties. Last year, : was built on the excitement of shared dream: founders Sonam Parikh and Kate Egghart wanted to create a space where their local community of artists, musicians, youth, and queer and trans folks could safely gather and form meaningful connections. The folks at Mina’s World want to be known for creating a safe and welcoming environment where...
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Neichelle Guidry
A Better Table Podcast
Umeko Motoyoshi interviews Neichelle Guidry, founder of , an initiative to amplify the voices and stories of Black women through specialty coffee.
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Eric Grimm
A Better Table Podcast
In this episode of A Better Table, host Umeko Motoyoshi interviews Glitter Cat Barista Director of Positive Outcomes Eric Grimm. "Glitter Cat is probably best known for their coffee competitions, which are accessible and free, created to spotlight marginalized, hospitality professionals, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, disabled and persons of marginalized gender," explains Motoyoshi. In this episode, we learn more about Glitter Cat's initiatives beyond coffee competitions, and Eric Grimm talks about the Human Resources program they've helped build. This episode of A Better...
info_outlineA Better Table on the Sprudge Podcast Network is hosted by Sprudgie Award-winning journalist, author and community organizer Umeko Motoyoshi. This show is a journalistic deep dive into the topics that matter in today’s coffee world, from disability access to coffee producer rights at origin to labor organizing in the modern coffee workforce, and much, much more. Motoyoshi’s fearless journalism isn’t afraid to ask big questions: who is coffee for, what ways can we challenge existing systems, and how do we come together to create a better table for all.
In the first episode of A Better Table, Umeko Motoyoshi interviews disability rights activist and author Alice Wong (Disability Visibility). Alice Wong is an award-winning disability awareness activist, consultant, and media producer based in San Francisco, and was appointed to the National Council on Disability by President Obama. In 2015, Wong made history as the first person to visit The White House via a telepresence robot. The Disability Visibility Project has collected over one hundred and forty oral histories in collaboration with the nonprofit organization StoryCorps.
While this interview was recorded before the COVID-19 crisis disrupted cafes across the country, the topic of accessibility remains as relevant as ever; cafes are slowly starting to reopen under new restrictions, and it's important to consider the access barriers of new protocols. Our pursuit of a "new normal" for cafe operations in the coming months and years must hold space for every person, a notion for which Alice Wong is a powerful advocate.
Full transcript available here.
This episode of A Better Table is sponsored by Baratza, Oatly, and Urnex Brands.