Coffee Fest New York 2027 Exhibitor List

Antoine “Twizz” Franklin is from Cleveland OH. His coffee career spans almost 20 years, specializing in developing training programs and assisting teams get their start in coffee as a personal consultant, with a concentration on working with POC small business owners. In 2017 he became Portland Coffee Fest Champion, placing 2nd in Dallas 2016, and most recently landed a permanent seat on the LAWCO judges panel and as a key hands-on instructor for Coffee Fest.

Hi! I’m Amélie (pronounced Emily), based in Metro Detroit. I’m the Director of Sales and Education at DOCR, where I lead wholesale partnerships, training programs and strategic collaborations. My work spans coffee program development, consulting, equipment sales and sourcing, technical support and public coffee education. At DOCR, we partner with cafés, restaurants and growing businesses to build thoughtful, sustainable coffee programs grounded in quality, operational excellence and long term success. I’ve been competing intermittently at LAWCO since 2017 and have won multiple local competitions during my time in Florida and over the past three years since returning to Detroit. Competition has always pushed me to refine my craft and stay connected to the evolving standards of specialty coffee. In 2025, I was honored to be named to the Sprudge Twenty, a recognition that reflects the work and community that continue to inspire me. DOCR was also named a finalist for Roaster of the Year 2026, an achievement I’m incredibly proud to be part of. I also co-own Washed Up Coffee with my partner, Emily. Washed Up is a Detroit based multi-roaster café centered on roaster and producer storytelling, exceptional hospitality and playful, highly intentional branding. We created it to celebrate the people behind the coffee while offering an experience that feels vibrant, welcoming and genuinely fun. At the heart of everything I do is a commitment to building strong relationships, elevating specialty coffee with integrity and creating spaces where people feel genuinely welcomed.

Seidy Selivanow was born and raised in Mexico, where her passion for gastronomy began at a young age and led her to persue a degree in the culinary arts. Her career path took an unexpected turn six years ago when she began exploring the world of specialty coffee. During this journey Seidy and her husband began roasting coffee at home and selling it at local markets in Vancouver WA where they currently reside. In 2018 they took the next big step and opened their first specialty coffee bar and roastery a space that deepened Seidy's love and commitment to the world of coffee. Today Seidy leads her specialty coffee company Kafiex Roasters which operates two coffee bars and a roastery, supplying freshly roasted coffee to wholesale partners and retail customers alike. Over the years she has had the honor of participating in pivotal industry events such as Cup of Excellence Mexico and the Women Coffee Powered Summit. Seidy has served as the emcee for the National Barista Championship in Mexico and continues to share her knowledge by teaching introductory courses in barista skills and coffee cupping. In 2019 she discovered barista competitions in the US and in 2021 she made her competition debut by winning first place in her first regional competition. In 2021 she placed 8th nationally and most recently she secured 3rd place in the regional competition, qualifying her for the 2025 National US Barista Championship, where she proudly finished 7th overall. Seidy's journey in coffee is one of passion, growth, and dedication, fueled by a relentless desire to learn, share, and uplift others through the power of specialty coffee.

Chris Deferio is a coffee consultant with a 26-year career, beginning in 1999. His passion for specialty coffee prompted him to commit to a lifetime career in the coffee industry. Chris’ professional experiences took him all over the country, working as a Barista Trainer, Director of Coffee, and General Manager at coffee shops and roasteries across New York, Indiana, Oregon, and Kentucky. Through these experiences, Chris' talents lie in the organizational leadership aspects of coffee shop operations, design and layout, management, and training. In 2017, he launched the Keys to the Shop® Podcast + Consulting , which explores leadership and management topics in the coffee industry along with everything required to run a thriving coffee shop, and boasts more than 3 million downloads to date. Keys to the Shop® Consulting is a natural extension of the education and conversations shared throughout his career and the podcast and to date KTTS has worked with 85+ coffee companies to help build and run thriving shops. Keys to the Shop Consulting offers one-on-one coaching, on-site assessments, manager workshops, barista training, and the leadership tools coffee shop owners need to operate a people-first, profitable, and long lasting business. Learn more about Chris Deferio, the Keys to the Shop® services at https://keystotheshop.com/consulting/