Meet the National Committee: Hana Kaneshige

Hana Kaneshige, Counter Culture Coffee

Community Coordinator

Dallas, TX

What is your favorite/most memorable coffee moment?

Tasting coffee cherries in Antigua Guatemala.

What led you to coffee? What’s your coffee "origin story"?

Being from Washington, I grew up going to coffee shops with my mom where she would get a latte and I would get hot chocolate. As I got older and started working in my on-campus college coffee shop, those hot chocolates eventually turned into blended mochas, then turned into iced americanos, then I was drinking straight iced coffee. By the time I graduated I had been managing the cafe alongside several other students, and I knew I wanted to get into coffee on a more serious level.

Why did you volunteer to be a part of the US Chapter leadership group?

I love being involved in the coffee community, and beyond the realm of one cafe or company. I've met amazing people through competitions and other events, so it seemed like a logical next step to be part of a group that can help propel the community further.

What cause or element of the coffee community drives you to continue to be a participant?

The people are what make this community - Beyond cafes, companies, or events, the people in coffee across the board are simply amazing.

What’s the most inspiring thing you hear from members of your community that keep you inspired about the future of coffee?

Having the opportunity to hear from our coffee team about different processes and procedures happening at origin that are taking into consideration climate change, coffee processing, and how to address issues we're facing at the most basic level.

What celebrity would you most want to teach how to enjoy coffee more?

Tina Fey.

Who’s your favorite person to make coffee for?

New baristas.

What are some community efforts that you are supporting/encouraged/inspired by in response to COVID-19?

I've seen some amazing pivots within the coffee community to be able to offer consumers not just service and tasty beverages, but expanding to offer goods that consumers might not be able to find otherwise.

What's a new part of your coffee – or daily! – routine that you don't want to give up after things go back to (the “new”) normal?

Now that I can't exactly leave my house, I've spent more time brewing coffee for myself. Granted, it's all quite old coffee, but it's been fun to experiment with my different brewing devices that generally don't get a lot of use.

What community have you felt needs to be represented in this chapter?

There is a great need for representation on behalf of the small, 1-2 shop cafes (not roasters) without the same resources as bigger companies. These are the people who may not have had the opportunity to be involved in bigger coffee events, but who form the backbone of the coffee community.

How do you see yourself connecting that community with the chapter?

It's a challenge at this current juncture as we are so isolated, but by reaching out through social media avenues and slack I hope to be able to reach more of the community.