Every Coffee Fest we sit down with presenters and speakers to talk about their field of expertise and learn from their experience in coffee.

This time we had a wonderful time talking with three professionals at Coffee Fest Chicago! 

We start with Lan Ho, Founder of Fat Miilk Vietnamese coffee bar in Chicago!

Lan Ho is the founder and CEO of Fat Miilk, a Chicago-based Vietnamese coffee company redefining the role of Robusta in modern coffee. Through a platform spanning direct sourcing, roasting, retail cafés, and consumer packaged goods, she is building a brand that connects origin to everyday ritual.

With a background in pharmacy, Lan brings a systems-driven mindset to an industry often led by tradition. She left a six-figure healthcare career to pursue entrepreneurship and has since been featured on CNBC and appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars. Fat Miilk opened its first Chicago storefront in 2024, with a second location in Naperville set to open this summer.

Deeply interested in consumer psychology, Lan approaches coffee through the lens of lifestyle, how people drink, feel, and connect through daily habits. She is a leading voice in advancing Robusta’s place in the global coffee conversation.

 

Links:

https://fatmiilk.com/

http://instagram.com/fatmiilk/

 

Next we are talking about approachable and joyful coffee training and eduction with Miranda Haney of Barista Friend! 

Miranda Haney is a coffee educator and consultant based in Austin, TX. She is the founder of Barista Friend, a mobile barista training service for home and professional baristas. 

Hailing from a long line of teachers, Miranda is especially passionate about delivering information in a way that’s engaging and easy to understand. She’s a permanent fixture at the local latte art competitions, a two-time U.S. Barista Championships national competitor, runner-up in the 2024 Barista League, Denver, and currently serves as vice president of the Austin Coffee Collective. Most recently, she was a 2025 Coffee Sustainability Fellow with The Chain Collaborative.

 

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/baristafriend/

https://baristafriend.substack.com/

 

Finally we talk with Asia Vo of Loba Pastry and Coffee 

Asia Vo is a Chicago-based artist devoted to curating intentional food and beverage experiences. In her present role as the Beverage Director of Loba Pastry, Vo honors craftsmanship through her continual pursuit of authentic creation and curiosity.

 

Links:

https://www.lobapastry.com/

https://www.instagram.com/asia__vo/

 

 

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www.coffeefest.com