Our Expert Team

From veteran baristas to certified Q Graders, the master sommeliers of coffee, we’re fortunate enough to have outstanding talent on the Fellow team.

What is a Q Grader?

Wine has master sommeliers, coffee has Q Graders. Q certification (the Q stands for quality) is the highest globally recognized standard of sensory coffee assessment. Originally developed for coffee producers to evaluate their product, it is now a valued achievement for professionals at every level of the coffee supply chain.

The rigorous certification process tests people's abilities to identify different aromas, flavors, acidity, and more, through comparative coffee cupping, and requires recertification every three years. The few that pass are able to give coffees the point score you may see on bags of specialty coffee.

There are only a few hundred certified Q Graders in the U.S. and we're so proud to have four on the Fellow team.

Meet the experts

Yudi

(she/her)

Yudi is a certified Q Arabica Grader and Associate at the Fellow Store in Los Angeles. A brewer competitor, Yudi also works with several roasters and is a self-described "professional passion dealer."

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Hailie

(she/they)

Hailie is a veteran barista and a Q Arabica Grader with 8+ years in the Specialty Coffee Industry. With Fellow she is responsible for curating delicious and compelling coffee choices for Fellow Drops as well as creating educational content for making delicious coffee at home.

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Nick

(he/him)

Nick is Fellow’s VP of R&D and a certified Q Arabica Grader. A former barista, coffee technician, and roaster, he personally designed our incredible new Ode Gen 2 Brew Burrs.