Laurence discovered specialty coffee in 2004 because his body couldn’t tolerate alcohol. It was a way to train his palate on a grad-school budget. Yet it had always run in his blood: the “George” that his mother used to buy coffee from in the 1970s turned out to be none other @ghhowell! Many Mamutos later, he started roasting coffee at home on an @ikawacoffee (V2) when he was on the tenure track, and quickly discovered a love for the chemistry and challenge of the craft. He eventually left his professorship in geochemistry for a chance to reduce the environmental impacts of the coffee industry at a startup in Seattle, where he met the other members of the team. Things escalated quickly from there: weekly tastings of great coffee led to a frustration that he couldn’t source fresh green coffee of this caliber -- to learn how to roast it -- and to enjoy it beyond the short-lived windows of exclusive drops. Thus, in the group chat, Coffea and Company was born. So far, Laurence has been enjoying the interactions he’s had with the supply side of the coffee industry (producers, importers, and exporters), as well as the opportunity to sample-roast and taste a huge variety of coffees with clients and friends.