Our People

No eclectic gourmet coffee business can succeed without a dedicated group of serious food lovers and we are no different. Meet our team!

Jeremiah Pick, President
Eric Bacelar, Executive Vice President
Kelly Zeissner, Vice President

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Jeremiah Pick, President

For Jeremiah Pick, naming his gourmet coffee company was rather simple. After all, when you have a relentless passion for discovering, blending, roasting, cupping and selling the world's finest coffee, a name like Jeremiah's Pick comes naturally. And Jeremiah's passion is expressed not only in every cup of exquisite coffee, but also in the stores that carry his brand, chosen specifically for their proven commitment to quality and service.

Jeremiah's path to coffee perfection was not without detours. With an initial interest in visual media-he earned his BA in Business and Cinematography from Portland State University-he worked as a stringer for CBS News in the Northwest. It was then that he decided to quit his job and become a drummer. (If it's a surprise to you, imagine how his parents felt.) Jeremiah spent the next 13 years crisscrossing the country as a drummer/percussionist in various bands, playing with such fervor he was finally warned he'd suffer permanent damage to his hands if he continued to play.

So Jeremiah did what any ex-visual artist, ex-newsman, ex-drummer would do. He took a job as marketing director for the famed Caffe Trieste in North Beach. It was here he learned the coffee business from the ground up, so to speak. After absorbing all the coffee lore he could, he decided to start his own business, roasting and blending in his small garage, graciously filling his Russian Hill neighborhood with the luxurious aroma of fine coffee.

After outgrowing his garage (ever tried to find parking on Russian Hill?) Jeremiah rented space in a South of Market warehouse, and Jeremiah's Pick Coffee Company was born.

Jeremiah describes himself as the Joker in a deck of Tarot Cards, the character with one hand over his eyes and one leg over the edge of a cliff. So far, thanks to passion, good instincts, and maybe a little luck, he hasn't gone over the edge of that cliff yet. He has translated his ability to lay down a monster beat into a reputation as a master blender, creating a harmonious convergence of the right flavors and processes.

In the coffee business, as in the music business, he produces something aesthetically pleasing, visually enticing, delightfully sensual-striving, through it all, to "provide the customer with a product that will make an everlasting impression."

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Eric Bacelar, Executive Vice President

As a co-founder of the company, Eric has had extensive experience in the world of specialty coffee. He started his career as a 'barista' and then sales representative for Cafe Trieste in the North Beach district of San Francisco.

Since the late 80's Eric has been involved with the Bay Area's vast gourmet coffee market. He oversees the implementation of promotions and marketing for the company. He works closely with Distributors and Brokers managing the accounts for maximum efficiency.

He received his BA and MA from the University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1982. His passion for coffee comes from heritage. Eric is also an avid chess player who appreciates the mental stimulation coffee provides for his practice.