Raise the Bar * In the media *
Raise the Bar * In the media *
Professional Education Event Level Up to Rise Again in Minneapolis
Level Up, the noncompetitive barista education and mentorship event launched last year by the nonprofit Raise the Bar Coffee, is returning to Minneapolis this fall with an expanded program and capacity.
‘A sleepaway camp for coffee people’
Raise the Bar is a coffee non-profit founded last year by Rachel Apple, Ivana Chan, and Sandra Loofbourow. The three industry veterans are now bringing their education and networking event, Level Up, back for another year in the autumn.
— The Pourover, Fionn Pooler
Level Up Returns To Minneapolis For A Weekend Of Immersive Learning
The consultant and educator discusses her coffee background, how she became an educator, and the upcoming Level Up event for baristas.
— Sprudge, Zac Cadwalader
Coffee COnversations: Barista Education with Rachel Apple
The consultant and educator discusses her coffee background, how she became an educator, and the upcoming Level Up event for baristas.
— The Pourover, Fionn Pooler
Raise the Bar Presents Level Up: A New Coffee Event for Baristas to Learn, Connect, and Grow
This September, the nonprofit will bring baristas together for an immersive and community-rooted educational experience.
— Barista Magazine, Emily Joy Meneses
opening notes: coffee education with rachel apple
Rachel Apple is an independent coffee consultant and a Cup of Excellence Head Judge. She also does green QC & marketing positioning for producers and exporters such as Higa Coffee, 3 Tigers Coffee, and JNP Coffee, and is currently consulting for a roastery operations software company, Flexnet. She’s also a founding member of Raise the Bar, whose upcoming Level Up coffee event aims to give baristas necessary training opportunities. Rachel spoke with us about the importance of continual education in the café.
Time To Level Up With A New Barista-Focused Event In Minneapolis
Presented by Raise The Bar, Level Up is a three-day event for working baristas who are looking to learn more about the craft while becoming part of the broader community, and registration for the event is now open.
— Sprudge, Zac Cadwalader
opening notes: choosing a roaster with sandra loofbourow
Sandra Loofbourow is a consultant and educator who primarily works in green coffee quality and sales through her company, Loupe Coffee Consulting. She’s a Q Grader and Q instructor, as well as an assistant instructor in Post Harvest Processing. She’s also currently studying in a graduate program for coffee science at ZHAW University of Applied Sciences in Zurich, and was just featured in the 2025 Sprudge 20. Additionally, she collaborated on futures.coffee with her husband, Tom Schluep. Lastly, Sandra is part of Raise the Bar, whose upcoming Level Up coffee event aims to give baristas necessary training opportunities. We talked with her about how to pick the right coffee roaster to partner with for your café.
opening notes: digital communications with ivana chan
Ivana Chan is a Marketing and E-commerce consultant focused on coffee businesses. She works with people to achieve their business goals for their online stores, with years of experience in marketing, PR, and advertising. One of the first stores she worked with surpassed 100,000 online orders, ultimately growing their revenue by twelve times over three years. She’s also part of Raise the Bar, a nonprofit reimagining what professional growth looks like in specialty coffee that’s hosting its first Level Up event in September.
— La Marzocco, USA
