A consumer-first future for specialty coffee.

Biography

Brian is a business strategist with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations better understand the people they serve and turn that understanding into action. His career spans management consulting, media and entertainment, financial services, and specialty coffee, with leadership roles focused on brand and marketing strategy, customer experience, innovation, and business transformation. He previously served as the inaugural Chief Experience Officer at Caravela Coffee and held multiple leadership positions at PwC, advising clients on transformation, growth, and customer strategy.

As Co-Founder of Furthers & Betters, Brian is focused on strengthening specialty coffee’s understanding of the consumers who sustain—and can expand—its future demand. Drawing on expertise in consumer insights, strategy, branding, and customer experience, he helps coffee and coffee-adjacent businesses translate consumer understanding into smarter decisions, stronger experiences, and new opportunities for growth. An advocate for coffee fandom and coffee futurism, Brian explores how deeper consumer understanding can strengthen customer value, expand specialty coffee’s cultural relevance, and create a more resilient future for the industry.

Biography

Cheryl is a consumer insights leader with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations turn complex business questions into clear, confident decisions. Specializing in consumer research, strategy, and data storytelling, she connects consumer behavior, cultural shifts, and market dynamics to uncover meaningful opportunities for growth. Combining quantitative and qualitative research, Cheryl is known for translating data into compelling narratives that make consumer understanding accessible and actionable.

Widely recognized for her expertise in coffee consumer research, Cheryl has led the biannual coffee consumption tracking studies for both the National Coffee Association (NCA) and the Coffee Association of Canada (CAC), developing a deep understanding of the attitudes, behaviors, and trends shaping coffee consumption across North America. Her work has informed industry leaders and been featured at the NCA and CAC Annual Conventions, SCA’s RE:CO Symposium, and Restaurants Canada. Her writing has also appeared in Coffee People Zine, Canadian Grocer, and Menu Magazine.

As Co-Founder of Furthers & Betters, Cheryl is focused on deepening specialty coffee’s understanding of the people it serves—and the people it has the potential to reach. She believes consumer research should be rigorous, approachable, and useful, revealing not only what consumers do, but the attitudes, motivations, and needs that drive their choices. She is especially passionate about making consumer intelligence more accessible to specialty coffee businesses and turning complex data into clear insights that can inform smarter decisions and new opportunities for growth.