pasteboard

I’ve talked about Leah a lot lately — in my letter from the editor in the August/September issue of Barista Magazine, and here on the blog — but I wanted those of you who don’t already know her to put a face with the name, so here she is, Leah Soenke Ruona, Barista Mag’s new advertising salesperson:

That little bundle of cuteness she’s holding is her five-month-old daughter, Presley. Leah is a longtime coffee industry vet: she has worked for DaVinci Gourmet and Zoka, among other companies. I got to be good friends with Leah when we were both in Trieste for the World Barista Championship in 2004, though we’d known each other from judging at regional barista competitions and the USBC before that. But we bonded over pizzas and gelato in Trieste and have been great friends ever since.

Leah and her husband, Aaron, have been very supportive of Barista Magazine since Ken and I started it in late 2004. They have enjoyed seeing us grow, and have been helpful with suggestions regarding how we can improve the magazine. Ken and I are writers and editors by trade, not salespeople, so when we decided it was time to bring someone on to acquire and manage new accounts, Leah was an obvious choice.

Presley has a big brother, Lucky, who is five, and with Presley’s arrival, Leah wanted to find work with a flexible, kid-friendly schedule. Enter Barista Magazine. She’s done an amazing job so far: look for some stellar new companies advertising in upcoming issues. We’re thrilled to have her and can’t wait for you to meet her — to start with, she’ll be joining us at Coffee Fest Seattle, so be sure to stop by Barista Magazine’s booth, #1003, to say hi!

Interested in advertising with Barista Magazine? Leah would love to hear from you at 971/322-8278 or by email at leah (at) baristamagazine.com.