About Us

Ember & Grain started in a garage in 2019. Marcus Chen and Layla Osman had both spent years in specialty coffee — Marcus on the roasting side, Layla on the sourcing side — and they kept arriving at the same conclusion: the supply chain between farmer and cup was too long, too opaque, and too extractive.

They pooled $12,000, bought a used Probat sample roaster, and started selling bags at the Hawthorne farmers market. Within a year, they'd outgrown the garage. Within two, they'd signed direct-trade agreements with four farms across three countries.

Today Ember & Grain roasts about 800 pounds of coffee per week and ships to all 48 contiguous states. The team has grown to seven people. The mission hasn't changed.

Transparency over marketing. Every bag lists the farm, the altitude, the varietal, the process, and what we paid for it. We publish our green coffee costs because we think you should know.

Freshness is non-negotiable. We don't roast to inventory. Every order triggers a roast. If the beans in your bag are more than 72 hours old when they reach your door, something went wrong.

Relationships over transactions. We visit our partner farms at least once a year. We pay above Fair Trade minimums. We co-invest in processing infrastructure where it makes sense. Coffee is a long game, and we play it that way.

Marcus Chen — Co-founder & Head Roaster. Former roaster at Stumptown and Heart. Obsessed with temperature curves and first crack timing.

Layla Osman — Co-founder & Green Buyer. Spent five years sourcing for a specialty importer before deciding she'd rather work directly. Speaks functional Spanish and improving Amharic.

Tomoko Reeves — Tasting Room Manager. Runs the Hawthorne space with calm authority and makes the best cortado in Portland (we're biased).

David Arnault — Production & Logistics. Former supply chain analyst. Makes sure your coffee ships fast and arrives intact.

Priya Malhotra — Marketing & Community. Handles everything from Instagram to wholesale partnerships. Believes coffee people are the best people.