About Us
Tailwind is a collaborative roasting space dedicated to making high-quality coffee accessible through shared resources, knowledge, and good vibes. Our mission is to foster a thriving coffee community that supports each other in their craft and business endeavors.
Our Core Beliefs
Collaboration We believe that knowledge grows when shared. By providing a platform for coffee education and exchange, we aim to uplift the entire coffee community.
Education We embrace opportunities to learn, grow, and adapt, ensuring we stay at the forefront of industry advancements.
Community We strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and supported.
Profitability We are committed to making coffee profitable throughout the supply chain, from producers to baristas.
Sustainability We are dedicated to environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Just like the tailwinds that help us accelerate, our collaborative spirit propels us towards our goals with greater speed and efficiency. Together, we can achieve more.
Sarah Cline Parker - Green Coffee Specialist
Sarah first discovered her passion for coffee in 2016 while living in Colombia, where she launched an English teaching program in the Pereira area. During her time there, she developed a direct-to-consumer coffee initiative, allowing customers to "adopt" coffee trees and receive the coffee they produced. This project evolved into an ecotourism venture, Dos Cosechas, which still operates in Colombia today.
Now the owner of Tailwind Roasting, Sarah has worked across the coffee industry in roles like wholesale director, barista trainer, and most recently, green coffee importer and trader. For the past four years, she has traveled extensively across Latin America and Africa, sourcing exceptional coffees and building strong connections throughout the industry. Sarah’s expertise in coffee quality and sourcing makes her a trusted partner for anyone looking to make great coffee buying decisions.
In addition to sourcing, Sarah is passionate about education. She teaches green buying, cupping, and coffee quality classes and has shared her knowledge at major events like the SCA Expo and Roasters Guild gatherings. A certified Q Grader, Q Processor, and now a Q Lecturer, Sarah also holds a certificate from the University of Zurich’s Applied Coffee Sciences program.
When she’s not immersed in coffee, Sarah enjoys painting, cooking, and taking walks around Chicago with a good audiobook. If you have any recommendations, she’d love to hear them!
Trevor Jermasek - Roasting Director
Trevor has been in the specialty coffee industry for over a decade and began his roasting journey on a 1957-built UG22 back in 2010. Since then, he has worked with a wide range of roaster models and sizes, from refurbished vintage machines to modern builds. Whether it’s fine-tuning roast profiles or replacing drum bearings, Trevor has been deeply involved in virtually every aspect of coffee roasting and maintenance
Over the years, Trevor has worn many hats in the coffee industry, including barista, roaster, production manager, green buyer, and director of coffee. These roles have taken him from Java, Indonesia, to Cauca, Colombia, deepening his understanding of what it means to be a conscientious roaster in today’s coffee market.
At Tailwind, Trevor is excited to bring his technical expertise and lived experiences to support the team. His goal is to demystify and eliminate the arbitrary gatekeeping around crafting truly great, well-developed coffee.
Outside of Tailwind, Trevor enjoys being a dog dad, cooking, perfecting sourdough loaves, and exploring his new city.