Bruce Milletto is president of Bellissimo and founder of American Barista & Coffee School. He has owned three successful retail gourmet coffee operations and has assisted hundreds of clients in creating new coffee start-ups worldwide since 1991. As a consultant, he has worked with individual and corporate clients in Asia, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

He is the 1999 recipient of the Specialty Coffee Association of America's Distinguished Author Award and is considered the voice of the specialty coffee industry in North America. Over the years, Bruce has received countless awards and recognition as a leader in the specialty coffee industry.

Matt Milletto is Bellissimo's Consulting Director. He is responsible for coordinating Bellissimo's individual and corporate consulting programs, acting as liaison between Bellissimo clients and consultants while improving the operation efficiency of the company's consulting division. He is also responsible for the company's web design, graphic design and internet solutions. Matt has extensive experience in retail coffee and has managed multiple coffeehouses and worked as a barista since 1994.

Matt is the Director of the American Barista & Coffee School and is one of four lead baristas in Bellissimo's newest Advanced Barista Training/Fancy Pours video. He regularly speaks at CoffeeFest, Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), and other industry Tradeshows and has been quoted in numerous newspapers and industry magazines. Matt sits on the SCAA Training Committee and the Espresso Training Sub-Committee. He is also the founder of Viva Barista and spends his spare time promoting coffee quality and education.

Ed Arvidson is co-founder of Bellissimo, and has accumulated over 20 years experience in the food service industry while working for national and regional restaurant corporations. He has also owned his own successful restaurant. During his career, he has held positions at a variety of operations as: corporate food and beverage director; corporate management trainer; and owner/general manager. He has managed high-volume units with annual sales approaching $3 million, and has supervised staffs in excess of 100. He is an expert in all aspects of operations, menu research and development.

Ed has written for several coffee industry periodicals, and has been a frequent speaker at industry trade shows. He is co-author and co-developer with Bruce Milletto of many Bellissimo products, including the start-up manual Bean Business Basics and the award-winning training video "Espresso 101."

Jared Mockli began his career in the specialty coffee industry as a part-time employee at an espresso drive-thru while attending college. Since that time, he has managed traditional coffeehouses, and coffee bars in gas stations, smoke shops, and health food stores.

Prior to coming to Bellissimo, Jared managed a high profile coffeehouse in Seattle. Under his management, sales at the coffeehouse nearly doubled and Jared gained a reputation as one of Seattle’s best baristas. In 2002, he was voted “Best Barista in West Seattle” by readers of the West Seattle Herald and one of “Seattle’s Favorite Baristas” by the readers of the Seattle Times. In 2003, Jared became the Executive Director of the Seattle Barista Academy, where he was responsible for the design and implementation of the school’s curriculum, in addition to daily operations. Jared believes strongly in the importance of quality coffee coupled with great customer service when building community between patrons and staff.

"A great cup of coffee is the perfect way to start the day," is the firm belief of Portland-based barista and trainer Rita Kaminsky. Rita found her passion for coffee and first honed her professional barista skills at Alterra Coffee Roasters in Milwaukee, WI. Prior to her eight years at Alterra, Rita worked for 12 years in the foodservice industry. Today, Rita lives in Portland, OR, where she is the café manager at the well know Bakery Bar café. Recently, Rita participated in the 2006 Northwest Regional Barista Competition and in the future she hopes to utilize her competition experience and her training talents to become a competition judge. In her spare time, you can find Rita furthering her coffee education by cupping coffees at the Stumptown Annex or networking with other Portland coffee professionals at various coffeehouses.

Rob Ward discovered his passion for coffee eight years ago in a small café in St. Cloud, MN where he began his career as a barista. After relocating to the coffee capital of the United States, Portland, OR, Rob began working as a barista and trainer at the high-volume Bakery Bar café. He recently competed in the Northwest Regional Barista Competition and plans to compete in the United States Barista Championship later this year. Rob enjoys sharing his skills with other baristas and his customers; he is also on a mission to create and serve the perfect coffee beverage.