How long have you been in coffee?

I have been working in coffee for more than 25 years.

Which countries have you taught in?

Mexico, Colombia, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Netherlands, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Dubai and Sweden.

What's your favorite coffee origin?

Ethiopia and Panama

What do you think are the benefits of taking the Q?

1. Promotes the concept and the benefits of protocols in the cupping lab.
2. Strengthens the calibration of cuppers world wide
3. It is the best possible education on cupping techniques and skills in the coffee industry.

What languages do you speak?

Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish

What other activities do you do in the coffee industry?

International Coffee Consultant and Geisha producer in Panama and Ethiopia

Anything else you'd like to add?

From a very early age Willem was intrigued and captured by coffee in every sense and all facets. He roasted his first batch of coffee at the age of 14 and after obtaining a masters-degree in business economics at the University of Amsterdam he co-owned his family’s specialty coffee business in The Netherlands. When Willem moved to the USA in 1998, he founded Boot Coffee and since then he advised coffee companies, coffee associations, development banks and governments around the world. As a consultant, Willem has been involved in coffee quality programs in countries like Ethiopia, Colombia and Honduras. He also designed extensive marketing programs for coffee industries in Ethiopia and El Salvador. In 2006, a dream was realized. He bought 5 ha. of land on the slopes of the Baru volcano in the Chiriqui province of Panama and planted 6,500 Geisha coffee trees. The farm was named "La Mula". In 2009, a second farm "Finca Sophia" was established at an elevation of 6,000 feet and up. In 2014 the natural processed La Mula won first place at the Best of Panama coffee competition. In 2015, La Mula maceration washed Geisha earned the Coffee of the Year recognition by Coffee Review with the highest ever score of 97 points. In 2016 his coffees won multiple Good Food awards and in 2017 Finca Sophia washed Geisha won first place at the Best of Panama. Willem is also a co-founder of a third farm in Panama: Finca La Cabra and he helped start a 400 hectare estate in western Ehiopia: Gesha Village Estate. Willem has extensive experience as a coffee roasting consultant and trainer. He wrote many articles about coffee roasting techniques in trade magazines. In addition, he educated hundreds of aspiring coffee professionals around the world in the sensory evaluation of coffee. In 2016 Willem started Boot Coffee Campus, a leading training institute located near San Francisco, CA, servicing the coffee industry in the entire Pacific region.