Level Up: Coffee Education Event

Helping Folks Grow and Thrive in Coffee: "Level Up" by Raise the Bar

Raise the Bar, a nonprofit organization committed to equitable and accessible education in the specialty coffee industry, is launching Level Up — a 2.5-day immersive barista experience taking place September 27–29, 2025, at Mill City Roasters HQ in Minneapolis, MN.

Like many of us, Rachel Apple, Sandra Loofbourow, and Ivana Chan got their start in coffee as baristas. While some have been able to grow within the industry and build long-term careers, many others haven't had access to the same opportunities, training, or support.

Level Up is designed to change that — offering hands-on education, community building, and professional development for baristas and aspiring coffee professionals.

To learn more about the heart behind Raise the Bar and what makes Level Up such a meaningful experience, we asked the founders — Rachel Apple, Sandra Loofbourow, and Ivana Chan — to share their thoughts in their own words.

What inspired you to start Raise the Bar?

“The kids! I see them out there doing the hard part with almost no institutional support. They're cobbling it together like we did and already doing so much! I wanted to create a space for baristas to find each other, tap into community, learn from really excellent educators (and each other!) in a non-compettive environment. And after looking around and thinking ‘why isn’t anyone doing this?’ it dawned on me that wait…maybe we could just do it ourselves!” — Rachel

What do you hope attendees walk away with — beyond just new skills?

“Definitely new friends in coffee, and beyond that, I sincerely hope everyone will be able to leave the Level Up weekend with extra inspiration, hope, fulfillment, and confidence in their work in coffee. This industry is incredible, and it’s made possible by strong, educated leaders, and the baristas of today are going to be the future coffee leaders in the world. Also, I sure hope everyone can leave with a bunch of great memories!” — Ivana

What’s one thing you wish more people in the industry understood about equitable education?

“Training makes everyone better! While there is lots of science and technical skill in our industry, there are a lot of soft skills too - like customer service, hospitality, de-escalation, and communication. These skills are just as trainable! A team that sets clear standards for quality in all aspects of their product offering (from dial ins to how often to make batch brew to how and when they walk through the door), and supports their staff in meeting those standards consistently, has a way better chance at success because they’ll be able to deliver a consistent experience every time.” — Sandra

“The Level Up field trips are going to be really special. It’s truly not every day that a barista working on bar can also visit the spaces beyond the cafe that are super instrumental to the coffee industry, and the opportunity to explore both Cafe Imports and Espresso Services Inc. will be wonderful ways to get to see behind the scenes in the worlds of green coffee and coffee equipment.” — Ivana

If Level Up had a theme song, what would it be?

“Not to be too on the nose, but probably ‘Level Up’ by Ciara.” — Rachel

What’s your go-to drink order — and what does it say about you?

“Gibraltar + drip coffee. I want a sweet treat and I also need fuel!” — Sandra
“Drip coffee + espresso + one seasonal beverage (if they’ve got one)! I really love to taste the gamut and experience the creativity at each shop!” — Ivana
“Espresso + black drip (+ a sig bev & pastry if i’m staying) - probably means I could use more sleep, and am deeply curious about what folks keep on the menu!” — Rachel

What was your first job in coffee, and what do you remember most about it?

“I had recently quit a pretty soul-sucking job I had had since I was 16 (lol so like 3 years) of being a family portrait studio photographer for those studios that were in department stores in malls. I knew that I had always enjoyed being in coffee shops when I was being a teenage delinquent and thought baristas were the pinnacle of cool, so i walked down the street from my perfect little first apartment in Kansas City that I lived in while I was at art school at KCAI to a locally owned chain called Latte Land, asked for a job, and was hired on the spot! I remember vividly my first shift - it was Halloween of 2006 - and my hiring manager had this whole headpiece/hat/plushy number that was just this giant goldfish floating atop this large man’s body. So I was trained on register, introduced to our roaster’s coffee, and that was that! I had no idea how lucky I was that this little spot called Latte Land was actually serving pretty remarkable specialty coffee in 2006. Our roaster was PT’s Roaster (a Jeff Taylor joint - pre-Birdrock era) and they really took a lot of care around their coffee. I was able to taste the differences in the Brazils, PNGs, and of course my first ever Natural Ethiopian Espresso™️. My manager was actually competing in USCC Barista Comps that year and would stay after we closed to work on his presentation of said natural Ethiopian espresso served under a cloche with smoked blueberry air….and I thought they had collectively lost their marbles. Flash forward to today and here I sit a USBC Head Judge & Sensory Lead. Oh, the places the world takes us.” — Rachel

Was there a moment when you realized coffee was more than just a job?

“One day, I ran into a regular from my first shop I worked at randomly in the streets of New York City… which was very unexpected, since the shop was located in Arkansas, and I hadn’t seen or served her in a couple of years. Nonetheless, I had immediately thought of her go-to order (Salted Mocha Latte with Oat Milk), and we both instantly recognized each other and enjoyed catching up. This moment really grounded me in thinking about just how many special memories I’ve made over coffee that I will take with me for the rest of my life. Coffee is the best! It is way, way more than ‘just a job.’” — Ivana

“In 2010 I went on a backpacking trip with my uncle and sister to celebrate her high school graduation before she started hair school. My uncle has always been adventurous and backpack a lot around LATAM and wanted to share that love with us, so we packed our rucksacks and went down to Ecuador for 2 weeks. While I had been a barista for 4 years at that point, I certainly didn’t truly grasp the whole agricultural component of the industry yet. I just loved serving people, working on my latte art, and the whole hospitality of being a barista. But that trip we went on a hike in the amazonian rainforest, and our guide (a fella named Jorge who loved american spirits and metalica) was telling us where we were hiking used to be a coffee farm but they had let it be taken back over by the rainforest after a huge economic collapse in the early 00s where a coalescence of a currency change, crash in coffee prices, and subsequent pulling support of coffee as a crop tanked Ecuadorian coffee production for more than a decade. (they have been on the rebound since 2012 and now produce some truly world class coffees that deserve the attention they've been getting!) So we were hiking and Jorge just reached over to this sad gangly looking plant and pulled a few red cherries off, put them in my hand, and told me that was the coffee that I was holding. My whole paradigm shifted in that moment. Like you can know something intellectually, and then you can know it inside your body - that moment was my shift. I am one generation off of a farm and come from many generations of sharecroppers and farmers. I know inside of myself what it means to farm, being connected to land and food, and what a hard existence that can be - even in the US. At that moment I had my first glimmer of understanding that my barista work and my family’s legacy had something in common and I became deeply interested in what happened before those bags of roasted coffee showed up at our shop. I was a goner.” — Rachel

Who has been a mentor or inspiration to you in your coffee career?

“Many people across many years. Gabby, the first nice lead-barista to encourage me at Latte Land. Kate, the manager I had at Crimson & Whipped Cream ( I know - i’ve got a knack for picking cafes with incredible names) that taught me that it was actually cool to be kind to people, be openly curious about the world around you, and it made you a stronger person to be open about what you don’t know. Laura, the co-owner of Elemental Coffee who taught by example what community investment could look like - how to craft a space of safety and hospitality. George & Jenny Howell who mentored me for 6+ years and gave me language to put to my sensory experiences. A thousand more people along the way.” — Rachel

This event is also a truly great one-stop-shop for any café or coffee business owner looking to outsource their training. Attendees will receive world-class coffee education and gain access to a broad range of skills and knowledge they can bring back to their home shops — elevating the entire team.

We’re excited to extend a warm invitation to the entire extended Dripos family to attend this event. Whether you’re a barista looking to deepen your skills or a café owner seeking to invest in your team, this is a powerful opportunity to learn, grow, and connect.

The value of community cannot be overstated — and we believe Level Up will be something special.