Management Team / Advisory Board Bios
Brad Gakenheimer, Co-founder/CEO
Brad fell into coffee when a local coffee roaster approached him to participate in his roasting company and coffee bar. From there, Brad became even more passionate about the industry as a whole and the farm to cup process. Brad's experience has helped him to understand many aspects of the industry from running and managing a cafe to the sales and operations of a coffee roasting business. He has worked and trained with many people across the industry and is a strong advocate for sustainability within the coffee supply chain. He believes the future of coffee can be supported by all of us from the growers, farmers and roasters, all the way to the end customer.
Chad Morton, Co-founder/Head of Product
Chad’s journey into coffee began when he traveled to Guatemala on a mission trip building homes for widows. On this trip, he met with a coffee farmer named Andres and started bringing coffee back to the US in backpacks. On several return trips, he met with the founders of various coffee companies and roasters to establish their direct-trade buying programs. He then went on to co-found the Direct Trade Coffee Club. Chad has been a strong advocate for sustainability across the coffee supply chain, beginning with the farms. He has been quoted in various publications including international business white papers, books, and magazines. Chad has collaborated with coffee pioneers across the industry pushing for more awareness around sustainability in specialty coffee. Chad is passionate about your experiences with coffee at all levels.
Brent Hawkins, Co-founder/Chief Marketing Officer
Brent has more than 30 years of experience in the retail and food and beverage industries. He has worked closely with national retailers, generating and managing sales, devising category-management standards, and developing products for national launch. In his experience, he has worked for or with brands such as Clairol, Eveready, Healthy Choice, SC Johnson, and Crayola. Focused around marketing, distribution, and data analytics, Brent's experience, expertise and relationships has helped Roast Umber accelerate its growth through strategic initiatives and low overhead resources.
Marc Colcer, Co-founder/Head of Customer Experience
Marc has more than a decade of experience in the marketing and advertising space, specifically in content, branding and digital strategy. A Michigan native, now residing in Los Angeles, Marc's primary focus is on product and brand engagement around communities with larger audiences, sourcing talent and influence to represent the brand, and overall eCommerce growth. In previous roles, Marc has worked in collaboration with teams to create content and traction for higher profile brands specifically in music, apparel, and food and beverage.
