A sanctuary for coffee roastery owners seeking camaraderie, candid feedback, and professional development propelling them into the orbit they’ve been aiming for.
the next junto starts June 2025!
the next junto starts June 2025!
Now accepting applications for the next junto!
Best Value
$750
(2) 1:1 coaching sessions
(6) group sessions
Best of Both
$1,350
50% more 1:1 sessions
(4) 1:1 sessions
(6) group sessions
Most 1:1 Meetings
$2,400
75% more 1:1 sessions
(8) 1:1 sessions
(6) group sessions
All Tiers Include:
(6) Junto group meetings, 1x per month
(2) 1:1 meetings with Luke - (1) goal-setting meeting at the beginning of the Junto and (1) retrospective meeting at the conclusion of the Junto group
Access to all Junto members via Slack
(3) curated curriculum books
*Each Junto group is capped at 6 members and applying does not guarantee a spot in the Junto.
quotes from junto
Andy Fuchtman
Sidecar Coffee
“I have seen myself...from the outside...through conversations with other owners and that's a hard perspective to get but a super helpful one.”
Andy Fuchtman
Sidecar Coffee
“Hearing myself give advice to the other owners has challenged me to elevate my own work.”
Murtaza Aziz
Ceramic Coffee Roasters
“For me, the writing prompts, the voice assessment, and the accountability have been most helpful.”
what to expect
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January 2025 - ONLY 2 spots remain!
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Junto blends group learning with individualized 1:1 consulting aiding owners in meeting their OKR’s, their team development and their overall business goals.
Group meetings include:
Learnings and observations from the reading, listening and writing opportunities specifically tailored for owners professional development.
Previous month's wins & losses.
A confidential space to share business challenges paired with candid feedback.
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Within the 4 walls of the virtual rooms of this Junto, what is shared remains between us.
The point is to create an environment where owners can have open conversations around their businesses and their own professional development.
Our community is built on a foundation of unwavering support. Every interaction is driven by a tone of encouragement, aiming not to dictate, but to foster growth through thoughtful questions and insights gained from our own learning.
In this group, collaboration triumphs over competition. Each member is viewed not as a rival, but as a partner in creating businesses that make a positive impact and foster each member’s professional development.
As a member of this Junto, you are stepping into a space where confidentiality is paramount. What is shared here remains between us, creating a safe environment for open and honest conversations.
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4-6 Owners + the Facilitator
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Group Meetings: 1-1.5 hours long
1:1 Consulting Sessions: 1 hour -
The Junto group will meet once per month.
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During the application process, each applicant chooses a day/time that is best for them and the majority of votes will determine the day/time for the Junto group to meet.
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Each meeting will be held virtually.
who will facilitate?
who will facilitate?
Luke Waite
Luke Waite is the founder and principal consultant of Pomelo Coffee Consulting. His background is marked by turning cafes, cold brew companies and roasters that are in the red, into companies that are highly efficient and fortified in the black.
Coffee Roastery Experience
Prior to consulting, he worked for four different roasters across Chicago (Metric Coffee, Five & Hoek Coffee, Passion House Coffee Roasters and Pickwick Coffee Roasters. Now he specializes in 3 key areas for growing roasters: their people, their processes, and their profit. He believes that these three elements are key to improving efficiency and building a business that can last.
Consulting & Design
He has deep knowledge of CPG productization, RTD cold brew, specialty coffee sales strategy, as well as deep understanding of pricing and operational structures for roasters. In addition to Pomelo, he owns a branding agency, The Lev Co, specializing in design and strategy for specialty coffee. Because of his experience across cafes, cold brew, education, sales, operations, and design, he approaches client engagements holistically.
Speaking
Luke regularly speaks at conferences and to private groups on operations and leadership. Some of his more notable speaking engagements have been: Specialty Coffee Expo (‘24, ‘23), Go Fund Bean (2023), Coffee Fest Chicago (2022), the Wilmington Coffee Fest (‘24, ‘23) as well as at Cafe Inclusivo (2022) a project of Swisscontact.
His Goal
Luke’s goal for Pomelo, and the whole industry, is for specialty coffee roasters to gain operational stability so they can make a positive impact on the industry and world.
Still have questions?
Feel free to send Luke an email for any clairity you might need.