Raise the Bar

Raise the Bar Raise the Bar is a nonprofit reimagining what professional growth looks like in specialty coffee.

We run accessible, community-driven programs that center working coffee professionals.

🤩 The weekend agenda is here!! Swipe to see what you’ll be learning at Level Up II, The Sequel, a life-changing, coffee ...
08/26/2026

🤩 The weekend agenda is here!! Swipe to see what you’ll be learning at Level Up II, The Sequel, a life-changing, coffee career building event made especially for baristas and newer coffee people! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⁠
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Get your tickets to Level Up! We cannot wait to see you there next month!⁠ Swipe to learn more about the weekend 🫶🏼
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🎟️ Link in bio, or at raise-the-bar.coffee/level-up

Featuring: SUPERCLASSES on Friday where you can choose to skill-up on: ⁠
☕️ “Coffee Flavor Fundamentals” Cafe Imports with Dylan Siemens⁠
🛠️ “Under the Hood: Technicals” with Noah Goodman and Kaileigh Mulligan and Josh Johnson⁠
🧚 “Management Training” with Erica Escalante: Cafe/Coffee Shop Consultant and Eric J. Grimm ⁠

🤓 All weeEric J. Grimmjoy lectures, hands-on workshops, deep dives, panels, and more with some of the most talented and caring coffee veterans and mentors in the industry. ⁠

Yes, that’s right!! 🏊🏻 Deep Dive workshops happening this year on your track of choice: Espresso, Pour Over, or Roasting — where you’ll learn both the level 1 foundations and level 2 knowledge on each subject.

🎟️ get tickets to Level Up at the link in bio
or at raise-the-bar.coffee/level-up

On Sunday, September 20th, we invite the public and local community of Minneapolis to come enjoy delicious drinks served by Level Up attendees while browsing a delightful Makers Market of hand-crafted goods. 🖼️ 🛍️⁠

The Pop Up Cafe features an espresso bar, a pour over bar, and a cold bar ~ 🌟🤌🏼

We also have a very special closing ceremony announcement this year! Look forward to a creative closing party hosted by Coffee People Zine !!

GeCoffee People Zineckets today 🎟️
Raise-the-bar.coffee/level-up

Rachel here, popping in to share some grief on the main with y’all:To know us at Raise the Bar is to know that we love D...
08/25/2026

Rachel here, popping in to share some grief on the main with y’all:

To know us at Raise the Bar is to know that we love Dolly & everything that she brought into this world. She was always a vocal & loyal friend to her LGBTQIA+ fans & family, she worked hard not to be a billionaire and spread the wealth she had to as many people as she could. She championed kindness & literacy, she was an absolute fashion icon, she knew that she could look however the hell she wanted on the outside and also be whoever the hell she was on the inside. She was a generational talent, a rags to riches story, an all ships rise with the tide kinda gal, and Christ could she rock a red lip.

A few weeks ago I was cutting up an old all-Dolly special edition of Time magazine to make several of our Level Up posters because she simply embodies so much of what we aim to bring into the world. Fun, humor, high quality everything, kindness, inclusivity, and an unrelenting commitment to y’all as the best gender inclusive second person plural pronoun that ever was.

I also was at Dollywood a few days after this past Christmas & wanted to share a few of my favorite things I saw that day. Dolly was the best of us, and the world is dim today.

My sweet co-founder Ivana Chan had to watch me find out in real time on a call this afternoon & immediately paused and created space for grief to enter the chat. Soon thereafter our other co-founder Sandra Loofbourow - Loupe Coffee gave us some words that I think we have to live by from here on out. “We have to be our own Dolly’s now 🥺 she brought so much good to the world.” And she’s right. Hell, we may as well add that to our values statement. So for the sake of all remaining things good, light, and bright in the world, let’s all go be our own Dolly to the people we love and surround ourselves with.

Love y’all the most. Sending hugs 🦋rhinestones 🦋 and v good biscuits to everyone whose heart is hurting today.

Xoxo - Rachel Apple, RTB Co-founder & Chair

PS swipe to the end for a sweet video my dear Gloria Swansong —a legendary NYC drag artist & cherished member of my chosen family)— sent me a while back after performing at 3 dollar bill’s Dollypalooza.

📣 Calling all makers!! Apply to vend at the Level Up Makers Market on Sunday, September 20th! ☕️🍁 Delicious coffees and ...
08/19/2026

📣 Calling all makers!! Apply to vend at the Level Up Makers Market on Sunday, September 20th! ☕️🍁 Delicious coffees and stunning fall Minneapolis weather await you! ⁠
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🖇️ Link in our bio, apps due Wednesday, August 26th⁠
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Hosted Mill City Roasters® 🚚

🕶️ ☀️ LA! We’re so ready to see you this week! Catch the Raise the Bar team and a whole crew of amazing mentors at Coffe...
08/18/2026

🕶️ ☀️ LA! We’re so ready to see you this week! Catch the Raise the Bar team and a whole crew of amazing mentors at Coffee Fest Trade Shows LA ⁠
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👥 Join us for 1:1 mentor speed connections rounds, where you can chat with fantastic coffee individuals about coffee career paths, navigating pay conversations, growing as a leader, and avoiding burnout. ⁠
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🎨 RTB Crafty corner!! Friendship bracelets, Charmy Keychains, and writing “Letters of Love” and encouragement to people who could really use them!! 💌⁠
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➡️ Friday, 8/21 at the Connections Lounge at 1pm and 2pm⁠
➡️ Saturday, 8/22 at the Roasting Hub at 1pm and 2pm

Mentors include the fabulous Sandra Loofbourow Sandra Loofbourow - Loupe Coffee , Erica Escalante Erica Escalante: Cafe/Coffee Shop Consultant , Jaymie Lao Jaymie Lao , and Selina ViJaymie Laona Viguera !!

Bring Selina Viguerations about teaching, coaching, cafe business tools, leadership, management, and coffee sensory skills!

Mentors include Keely Thomas Keely from IntercontinentaKeelyTradinIntercontinental ☕️ Trading Jeremy Lyman Ivana Chanan from Birch CoJeremy Lymanc GrimBirch Coffeeimm !!

Talk to Eric J. Grimmeen coffee trading, marketing, bar skills and management, and human resources that make all the difference in the workplace!!

Mentors include the incredible Tricia Lu Tricia Lu , Stacey Lynden Tricia Lunden from Swiss WStacey Lyndennd SteSwiss Water® Decafthem about business management, tea, decaf coffee, events, roasting and more!!

Get a little artsy with us! 🌟🧚 Make a friendship bracelet with your barista bestie or a charm-filled 🍀 keychain, or take a moment to write some words of encouragement (Spanish is encouraged) to folks in the Letters of Love program 🫶🏼📝

Here’s where you can find us on Friday and on Saturday!!

Also….. don’t forget to check out LEVEL UP II, the sequel! Get your 🎟️ to attend the coziest, most encouraging, and inspirational barista event of the year this fall in Minneapolis, September 18-20th. Tickets in the link in our bio!! ✨

🚎 ✈️ 🚙 Attending Level Up in Minneapolis this September? Level Up tickets include lodging - here are the lodging and arr...
08/14/2026

🚎 ✈️ 🚙 Attending Level Up in Minneapolis this September? Level Up tickets include lodging - here are the lodging and arrival details! ⁠
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This year, we’ll be staying here 🏨 TownePlace MPLS/North Loop ⁠
Situated right by the park! 🏞️⁠ feat. Breakfast 🤩
And, an easy public transit ride over to Mill City Roasters.⁠
If you have a shared room ticket, lookout for the roomie quiz email coming from Raise the Bar next week! 👯
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See you at Level Up!! 👀 ⁠
September 18-20 • 2026⁠
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🎟️ Tickets in the link in bio 🔗⁠
or at Raise-the-Bar.Coffee/Level-Up

✨ Meet our August Deep Dive Instructor... Charli! ☕ This month’s theme on RTB’s Patreon is All About Espresso -ooooo!!!⁠...
08/14/2026

✨ Meet our August Deep Dive Instructor... Charli! ☕ This month’s theme on RTB’s Patreon is All About Espresso -ooooo!!!
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Charli is the Education and Training Manager at Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters, has spent the past 10 years in specialty coffee, trained hundreds of baristas and coffee enthusiasts, served as a USBC sensory judge for four seasons, and earned second place at the 2023 Barista League competition.⁠ ⚡️
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When she’s not teaching all things coffee, you’ll probably find her performing with her rock band, Poor Moxi , cooking delicious plant-based meals, or spending time with animals she loves.⁠
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Join us online as we dive into extraction, dialing in, recipe development, and all things espresso!⁠
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🗓 Thursday, August 20th on RTB’s Patreon⁠
⏰ 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET⁠
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We’ll see you there. ☕✨

Level Up is…a little nitty, gritty, hands-on….and most importantly FUN!! It’s the coffee education weekend we all wish w...
08/10/2026

Level Up is…a little nitty, gritty, hands-on….and most importantly FUN!! It’s the coffee education weekend we all wish we had when we started out in coffee.

🌟 Incredibly caring mentors & educators
🌟 High caliber teaching
🌟 Community-driven hospitality
🌟 Creative, Learning Playground 🛝

The tickets include meals, local transportation in addition to all of our workshops, panels, lectures, and superclasses. It even includes a service shift (alongside rockstar mentors) at the cafe pop up for the public and local city of Minneapolis. And of course a few fun little parties & dinner each evening 🥳

👀✨ Opt-in for a Friday Skills Superclass: kicking off your Level Up weekend with extra time on Sensory Skills, Technician Skills, or Business Management Skills.

Get your ticket 🎟️ at Raise-the-Bar.Coffee/Level-Up or visit the link in our bio. We’ll see you in September!!

🗓️ September 18-20th 2026
🗺️ Minneapolis,MN

🪄 Take a peek at the Barista Toolkits and Skill Groups that will be covered this fall at Level Up 2026 (part 2. the sequ...
08/07/2026

🪄 Take a peek at the Barista Toolkits and Skill Groups that will be covered this fall at Level Up 2026 (part 2. the sequel)!! ⁠
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We’ll be announcing the full line-up very soon...! 🤓 Another cool thing about Level Up is that everything you learn here is designed especially for YOU. ⁠
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We believe baristas should be equipped with knowledge around relevant, current industry topics, plus the holistic skills that support your coffee journey as you grow in the industry for the long run. 🏃‍♂️⁠
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So, get in here!! Grab your Level Up 2026 ticket 🎟️ ⁠

Extra special shout out 💬 Sandra L. the incredible! Director of Education! For building this framework so thoughtfully and intentionally!!

😏 whoops, have you been wondering what “Level Up” even is? It’s only the coolest event ever put on by Raise the Bar Coff...
08/06/2026

😏 whoops, have you been wondering what “Level Up” even is? It’s only the coolest event ever put on by Raise the Bar Coffee! Swipe to learn more about it! ⁠
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TL;DR it’s a real special weekend that’s literally just made for baristas and coffee people who want to grow 🌱⁠🥲 ⁠
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September 18-20th ⁠
Minneapolis, MN⁠
🎟️ & more info @ the 🔗 in our bio!!

🎤 We’re delighted to share that Reyna Callejo (she/her) will be joining us at the Expert Q&A this month on Patreon! ⁠⁠As...
07/20/2026

🎤 We’re delighted to share that Reyna Callejo (she/her) will be joining us at the Expert Q&A this month on Patreon! ⁠
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As the Director of Training & Innovation at Olympia Coffee + Moonrise Bakery, Reyna plays an instrumental role to answering questions around this month’s theme: What does it really take for cafe businesses to be successful?⁠
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From leading training and beverage innovation across seven cafe locations to mentoring the next generation of coffee competitors, Reyna has built her career around helping both people and cafes thrive. Her experience spans running cafe operations, creative menu development, upholding quality standards, innovating around barflow and workflow efficiency, and competition coaching... she is an amazing resource to answer your questions about successful cafes!⁠
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Are you wanting to make an impact at your coffee shop? Possibly considering opening a coffee shop one day? Just curious about how to grow as a coffee person? Come join Raise the Bar’s Patreon! ⁠
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👋 Meet Reyna this Thursday, July 23rd!!⁠
⁠🕰️ 2pm PT / 5pm ET

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