Learning to roast and hone one's skill in the craft is a difficult task. Add to that the pursuit of competition and leading an entire department of a to U.S. coffee business and you have yourself one very talented coffee professional.  Today I am thrilled to interview the new U.S. Roasting Champion, Eduardo Choza! Eduardo is the Director of Coffee at Mayorga Coffee. He oversees the operations of E-commerce and Coffee Education & Training for Mayorga Coffee. Among being a talented roaster he is a Q-Grader and 3x US Coffee Roasting Championship Finalist.  And now 2024 US Roasting Champion! Eduardo is a father of two and proud son of hardworking Mexican immigrants.   His motivation to compete came from wanting to represent something larger than himself. I compete to represent the largest organic Latino-owned roastery; to represent the immigrants and children of immigrants who work there; to represent the producers and pickers in those beautiful coffee growing lands; to represent his family and families who had the courage to cross borders and seek opportunities for future generations; and to represent my culture. In our conversation we discuss Eduardo's journey on coffee, approach to roasting, the competition experience, how he leads and teaches, and the drive for representation in coffee that fuels his career.  Links: www.mayorgacoffee.com Related Episodes:  451: Business Growth, Integrity, and Coffee Farmer Equity w/ Martin Mayorga of Mayorga Coffee 352: Music, Culture, and Coffee w/ Hip Hop Artist, Propaganda 444: Founder Friday! w/ Julia Peixoto Peters of Peixoto Coffee, Arizona 338: A Conversation w/ Martell Mason of The Sepia Coffee Project, Detroit, Michigan RoR # 21 : Data, Community, and the Art of Roasting w/ U.S. Roasters Champion Andrew Coe of Elevator Coffee Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee   The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com