My Story

This started with a dishwasher job in Venice.

Short version of: Intelligentsia dishwasher → Kenyan espresso → all‑star training.

Building Populace from a 400 sq ft barbershop.

Roaster, door‑to‑door sales, learning green buying and pricing the hard way.

From operator to partner.

Multi‑café partnerships across Michigan, the good and the painful (without naming names).

Why Thirsty Friends exists

I’m more valuable as the person backing and documenting founders than as another logo on a street corner.

About Andrew

SERIAL F&B ENTREPRENEUR
built Populace Coffee from a tiny roaster to multi-unit brand.

EARLY EMPLOYEE at INTELLIGENTSIA & BELLWETHER
always where innovation happens first.

NETWORK
founders/investors Leisure Hydration, Intelligentsia Coffee, Biggby Coffee, Perfy, Fellow, Shine Water

MISSION-DRIVEN
storyteller + operator empathy.

I was born to teenage parents and grew up poor in a trailer near the shores of Lake Huron in Michigan.

I fought my way out of my adolescence and crashed into the world in my early 20’s. I built a small coffee business that still exists today and for the last 6.5 yrs I’ve been building a startup in the coffee hardware space as the sales leader.

The best decision I ever made was marrying my best friend and we have built a life that I could have only dreamed of.

No one outworks me & no one can slow down like me.

Slowing down. Taking a step back. Taking a deep breathe. Getting wisdom from advisors and counsel is a skill I cherish.