Our Team

Andrew Vournas

President & CEO

Andrew Vournas

President & CEO

Andrew learned the coffee trade from the ground up, beginning at age 19. Back then he worked in the warehouse unloading containers and delivering coffee. It was when he did his first sample roast and cupping that he knew he was hooked and fell in love with coffee. He went on to implement cupping room quality controls and eventually sourcing, buying and selling coffees.

In 2002 Andrew founded Vournas Coffee Trading and his quest to source the world’s best coffee has taken him to 38 countries and counting. He takes pride in the success of his retail and wholesale roasters by helping to establish their businesses, providing market insight, sourcing origins, and developing custom blends.

Andrew also enjoys working with our producing partners, collaborates with growers and mill operators to improve the quality of their coffee, and supports non-profit organizations that focus on providing supplies, training, and assistance programs to farmers and their families.

For the last four years he has served on Board of Directors for the Pacific Coast Coffee Association and is currently serving 2 years as President. He has spoken on numerous panels, also performed as an international juror and cupping judge for Cup of Excellence competitions in Bolivia and Colombia.

Get to know Andrew

USC Football Fan

The only easy day was yesterday.

Navy Seal Philosophy

Fair Trade Organic Papua New Guinea AX

Favorite coffee

What he loves to do for fun: Travel off the grid, skiing, BBQ Master Chef, avid runner, and spends time with family & friends.

Kat Vournas

Chief Operating Officer

Kat Vournas

Chief Operating Officer

Kat Vournas is a Southern California native and a self-proclaimed coffee junky. She developed her love of coffee during her early days of college while pulling all night study sessions. After completing her Bachelor’s in Business Administration, she worked for Harman Consumer Group, where she managed marketing and brand management for Harman Kardon, JBL and Infinity.

In 2009 she followed her passion and joined the VCT team where she is Co-Owner and has worked in almost every part of the company since. Today she can be found overseeing VCT’s financial operations and company marketing and communications. She is fanatical about sourcing high quality coffees and sustainability of coffee from farm to cup.

Get to know Kat

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.

Oscar Wilde

I attended the longest game in World Series history. 7 hours, 18-innings later my beloved Dodgers won the game!

Mexico Rancho San Francisco

Favorite coffee

What she likes to do for fun: hike, cycle, dream up delicious new dishes, listen to music & podcasts and spend time with family/friends.

Michael Herrera

Coffee Trader

Michael Herrera

Coffee Trader

Michael Herrera’s passion for coffee began in Los Angeles watching as his mother would pour endless cups of coffee for guests throughout some of LA’s local eateries. Through the early 90s, Michael learned to brew and serve coffee, where his connection to coffee and customer service was realized. Since the age of 13 Michael has worked in the restaurant business in both the front and back of house. His expertise includes inventing recipes, redesigning workflow, menu mapping, developing online sales, revenue growth, managing staff and day to day operations, to name just a few. For the past 17 years Michael has owned and operated a full service breakfast establishment and specialty coffee house in San Diego, and it is with the support and hard work of his wife and their four daughters to which he attributes their success.

In 2016 a new vision was born. With the help of his brother and roaster, Michael founded one of California’s very first cold brew coffee companies. Michael’s new position found him sourcing, roasting, steeping, and refining his cold brew recipes for production and distribution. His early entrance to this new market nurtured a spirit of innovation for new extraction sciences, equipment design and regenerative refining techniques that are still providing for today’s on-tap coffee culture. Michael found a passion for competing with his cold brews and educating and sharing his unique styles of coffee steeping. Now Michael’s love of coffee and love for people are united at Vournas Coffee Trading where he can’t wait to connect with the Vournas Coffee family of roasters and discover all of your coffee stories.

Get to know Michael

If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind.

Favorite Quote

Cold brewed Kenya AA using the “cerberus” methodology

Favorite coffee…ask about it, he’d love to explain!!

On his days off you’ll find Michael talking shop, drinking coffee, playing hockey, biking, practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu, taking cardio and cross training classes and, most importantly, enjoying his beautiful family.

Samantha Goodfellow

Logistics Coordinator

Samantha Goodfellow

Logistics Coordinator

Samantha was born and raised in Southern California and can’t envision living anywhere else. She has enjoyed coffee from a young age, where a pot was said to be brewing at home all day long, you know back in the day when everyone still did that! Since that time she is now thankful for the invention of air pots! 😊 Twenty plus years later Samantha has found a deep love and passion for coffee and on the weekends is frequently found at her local coffee house.

Before coming to Vournas Coffee Trading she worked for Trader Joe’s, supervising various facets of branding and product merchandising, as well as managing wholesale vendor orders. The experience was a great segue to her home at Vournas Coffee, processing customer orders and making sure they get out on time.

Additionally, Samantha coordinates many, many other moving parts critical to our operations and getting our specialty green coffees to where they need to be. Samantha is currently working towards a degree in cultural anthropology.

Get to know Samantha

I love telling jokes!

Don’t let the concept of change scare you as much as the prospect of remaining unhappy.

Favorite Quote

FTO Mexico Oaxaca Zapoteca
Favorite coffee

What she likes to do for fun: hiking, camping, mountain biking, crochet, spending time with my family, friends and dog.

Michael Riendeau

Design & Marketing Consultant

Michael Riendeau

Design & Marketing Consultant

Michael Riendeau is our long-time creative and design consultant behind Vournas Coffee’s social media platforms, our print and digital ad campaigns, and the Vournas Voice Newsletter. A passionate coffee enthusiast, Michael has contracted with specialty coffee since 2009 when he began as art director for a successful startup roastery based in New Mexico.

Michael provides oversight and direction for the Vournas brand, and its marketing strategy both as copy editor and newsletter publisher. Having worked in major media markets on the East and West coasts, Michael’s artistic ability and skill draw from decades in multimedia design and visual effects.

Michael is an MFA graduate of San Francisco’s Academy of Art University, and a proud alumni of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Get to know Michael

Even abstract shapes must have a likeness.

Willem de Kooning

My favorite place to be is underwater. I've been a scuba diver most of my life, and strongly believe everyone needs to do it at least once.

Mexico Rancho San Francisco
Favorite coffee

What he likes to do for fun: everything outdoors that’s faster than walking.

Michael and his design firm, REDG Media can be contacted at: mike@redg.media

Michael Vournas

Co-Founder (8/28/62 – 9/12/09)

Michael Vournas

Co-Founder (8/28/62 – 9/12/09)

Michael Vournas passed away September 12, 2009 after a two year battle with cancer. He was a founding partner in Vournas Coffee Trading, brother and friend and his contribution and presence at Vournas Coffee Trading is irreplaceable. His love and passion for life lives on through his wife Cindy and daughters Jessica, Chris and Mikaela. During his life Michael was blessed with extensive travels that enabled him to hunt down great coffees in source countries.

The knowledge he obtained was rare and extremely valuable to Vournas Coffee Trading in its ability in assisting roasters. Michael had true natural ability for cupping coffees and was honored by the Pacific Coast Coffee Association (PCCA) as the 2006 Cupper of the Year, through the annual Pete McLaughlin Memorial Cupping Competition.

Michael Vournas was dedicated, hard working and a really great guy. Not only will his knowledge and skills in the coffee world be sorely missed, but also his ability to make every one feel valued and loved. Mike’s favorite saying was “Hope Springs Eternal”.

He was an integral part of Vournas Coffee Trading, and he will always have a place in our hearts, on our website, and with our company forever.

Steve Teisl

PNG Consultant

Steve Teisl

PNG Consultant

Steve Teisl is a true resource in specialty coffee, he has a wealth of experience and few people have a sincere love of coffee like he does! He started in coffee some years back while working in Papua New Guinea and, in fact, opened the ANGCO U.S.A. office for the largest and oldest exporter of coffee in Papua New Guinea. For the two years prior to joining Vournas Coffee Trading, Steve Teisl was a sales agent for a large, world-wide coffee import/export company. There, he specialized in the wonderful coffees of Papua New Guinea. For 8 years at Vournas Coffee Trading, he represented our full line of fine specialty coffees, in addition to the fantastic Papua New Guinea coffee from the Purosa Valley that he has hand-nurtured throughout his days in coffee! Steve makes absolutely the finest single origin espresso anyone has ever tasted, using PNG Purosa.

He is married with 3 grown daughters, and currently 6 grand kids, who are spread around the world. Steve’s favorite quote is “Get up, dust off, keep going” by Craig McConaghy and of course his favorite coffee is FTO Papua New Guinea A Purosa

Due to health issues Steve has been unable to maintain his day to day presence at Vournas Coffee, but his insight and knowledge of the industry is invaluable and he will always be Vournas Coffee’s Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, and our consultant on Indonesian and Papua New Guinea Coffees.

Coffee Categories

Central America

Africa

South America

Indonesia

Asia

Coffee Categories

Central America

South America

Africa

Indonesia

COFFEES

Andrew Vournas

Get to know Andrew

Kat Vournas

Get to know Kat

Michael Herrera

Get to know Michael

Samantha Goodfellow

Get to know Samantha

Michael Riendeau

Get to know Michael

Michael Vournas

Steve Teisl

Our coffee origins

Resources

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