About Us
At Vertex Coffee Roasters we strive to honor the entire coffee process and the people involved by serving high quality coffee and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. We care about sharing and committing to zero waste practices, ushering opportunities for creativity and the arts, providing space for public events, and bringing communities together alongside providing high quality coffee.
Our Team
KARA
(she/her) is our owner and roaster. She taught K-8 music and studied voice performance before stepping full time into the coffee industry. She is a calm optimist, zero waste lifestyle striver, and is very motivated to further her knowledge of coffee and people.
Location: Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti
HEATHER
(she/they) is our cafe manager and an experienced barista whose eclectic interests have given her the opportunity to delve into speciality coffee and work towards lifting our local community through art, music, and caffeinated beverages. You can often find her singing along to folk rock, reading comics, doodling, and playing with her cats.
Location: Ypsilanti
CAIT
(she/her) is a coffee and thrift enthusiast! On top of being a barista at Vertex, she owns a small business - 313 thrift co. She has a passion for finding self-expression through clothing and hopes to help others do the same.
When not behind bar, Cait can be found thrifting, getting coffee at a local coffee shop, attending vintage markets, and hanging with her kitties Arlo and Jasper.
Location: Ypsilanti
NATE
(he/him) is a lifetime-learner, and one of his favorite things to learn about is coffee! He also loves writing and playing music, caring for his ever-increasing collection of house plants, and taking on any project where he can fix or create something. On the weekends, you might spot him playing a show as one half of an indy-jazz-pop duo.
Location: Ypsilanti
MICHAEL
(he/him) is a coffee enthusiast and professional audio engineer. He loves being able to make people happy with a fresh cup of coffee. Before Vertex, he worked in Los Angeles, in film, tv, and video game scoring. In Ann Arbor, Michael works remotely as a mixing and mastering engineer, as well as an orchestral editor. He loves walking in the arboretum, having picnics in the law quad, and catching classic films in the Michigan theatre. When he’s not making delicious drinks with the Vertex team, Michael can be found listening to music, editing recordings, and playing with his cat Zuko.
Location: Ann Arbor
JARED
(he/him) is a daily home brewer and aspiring cafe/roastery owner. He is excited to become a part of the local coffee scene and intends to remember as many names and orders as possible. A recent graduate of the Environmental Studies program at MSU, he would be happy to chat about all things ecology, environmental science, and anything else that comes to mind. When he isn't sharpening his skills behind the bar at Vertex you can find him at any local skatepark, asking for new albums to listen to, or going on long walks with his dog, Georgia.
Location: Ann Arbor
B
(they/he) has a deep love for coffee, making people smile, and working where those two intersect! They graduated from the University of Michigan School of Social Work with their Masters degree and a concentration in Policy and Political Social Work, and are so excited to bring their passion for social justice and serving communities to Vertex. While not making your day better with a cup of coffee, you can find them listening to music, hanging out with friends (and their pets), or tending to their backyard garden!
Location: Ann Arbor
AMANDA
(she/her) is an undergraduate student studying Psychology at University of Michigan. She hopes to one day be a mental health counselor. In her free time she enjoys reading, playing with her dog, and practicing her piano skills. She loves meeting new people and is excited to be a part of the Vertex community!
Location: Ann Arbor
XANDER
(they/them) is a saxophonist at UofM majoring in jazz and contemporary improvisation. They are a caring individual who is always interested in learning, growing, and facilitating cool and unique experiences. Not only do they have a burning passion for coffee, but they also love to bike, cook, draw, and spend time outdoors.
Location: Ann Arbor
HUNTER
(she/her) Hunter is an ypsi local artist and barista. When she isn’t serving up smiles at the Ypsilanti cafe, she is drawing at home with her black cat Calliope.
Location: Ypsilanti
DANYA
Danya (she/they) loves making drinks and food for people. They spend their free time rock climbing, hacky sacking, playing pool, and spending time with friends. Outside of their hobbies they love curating safe and inclusive spaces for queer folxs in Ypsi through their community organization called C2Q (cheers to queers).
Location: Ypsilanti
CHLOÉ
(she/her) Chloé & Toast have been Ypsi residents for several years & are looking forward to welcoming Vertex to the neighborhood! Dedicated to uplifting small businesses, she is excited to contribute to a diverse team & interact more with her community. You can catch Chloé teaching at Fun Girl Dance Co. & School when she’s not making your favorite latté.
Location: Ypsilanti
ALMA
Alma (she/her) is an experienced barista who’s also passionate about plants and gardening. When she’s not out tending to her garden or spending time outdoors you can find her hanging out with her dogs Goose and Reggie.
Location: Ypsilanti
FAITH
Faith (she/her) is a Senior at UofM studying Nursing and Global Health with hopes of becoming a Midwife. Outside of school and work, Faith is an avid gluten free cook/baker and has started making gluten free sourdough. She can often be found frolicking in nature (barefoot of course), reading on her porch, crocheting, or making playlists to fit every vibe.
Location: Ann Arbor
SAFARA
Safara (they/them), is a long time barista with a passion for community, grassroots organizing, and the creative arts. If the three can intersect- even better! When they aren’t at the shop they can be found in their garden, testing fun recipes they found on Instagram, or planning their next creative project.
Location: Ann Arbor