The Sip & Share Seminar Stage Returns to Virginia with a New Lineup!
Join us November 14 & 15 at the new Dulles Town Center Expo in Sterling, VA, for the fifth annual DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival – Virginia Edition! The Sip & Share Seminar Stage returns with new presenters, familiar faces, and fresh perspectives on chocolate and coffee. Enjoy seminars, demonstrations, and interactive Chocolate and Coffee Trivia. Meet the makers, hear their stories, and ask questions along the way. All sessions are included with your festival admission, so stop by throughout the weekend and discover something new!
2026 Seminar Schedule
Saturday
10:30AM - From Farm to Cup: The Story of Eight Sisters Coffee Farmers from Nicaragua
by Meyling Moreno (Duskaia Coffee)
12:00PM - Ancestral Cacao: Rediscovering One of the World’s Oldest Chocolate Lineages in the Ecuador Amazon
by Daniel Hymel (Powhatan Chocolates)
1:30PM - So, you want to start your own Coffee Business? The Good, The Bad, and Ugly... An Owner's Journey
by Paul Olsen (Weird Brothers Coffee)
3:00PM - Great Coffee, Greater Possibilities: The ECHO Coffee Roasters Origin Story
by Todd Goldian (ECHO Barkery)
4:00PM - Chocolate and Coffee Trivia
Sunday
10:30AM - Where Coffee Began: Exploring Ethiopia’s Coffee Culture & Tradition
by Ayantu Degefa (Laheey Coffee Roasters)
12:00PM - Craft Chocolate 101: Why All Chocolate Isn’t Created Equal
by Krissee D'Aguiar (River-Sea Chocolates)
1:30PM - Chocolate in Europe: History, Culture, and How the Continent Enjoys It Today
by Beth Borrego (Cruise Planners)
3:00PM - Chocolate and Coffee Trivia
Learn More About Each Session
From Farm to Cup: The Story of Eight Sisters Coffee Farmers from Nicaragua
Saturday at 10:30am
Follow coffee’s journey from farm to cup through the story of a family of coffee producers. Learn about the experiences of women in coffee production and discover how coffee varieties and processing methods shape the flavors in your cup. This personal, interactive presentation brings the story to life with examples of the family’s coffees and insights into the people and processes behind each brew.
Ancestral Cacao: Rediscovering One of the World’s Oldest Chocolate
Lineages in the Ecuador Amazon
Saturday at 12:00pm
Discover some of the world’s rarest ancestral cacao from the Amazonian headwaters of Ecuador. Daniel Hymel of Powhatan Chocolates will share the story of these ancient trees, the Indigenous Shuar families protecting them, and conservation efforts helping them thrive. Guests will also taste chocolate crafted from these remarkable beans.
So, you want to start your own Coffee Business? The Good, The Bad, and Ugly...
An Owner's Journey
Saturday at 1:30pm
Discover what it really takes to own and operate a successful coffee shop. Hear from Paul Olsen, founder of Weird Brothers Coffee, as he shares the hard work, challenges, rewards, and realities behind turning a coffee shop dream into a thriving business. Gain practical insight into what aspiring coffee shop owners should consider before taking the leap.
Great Coffee, Greater Possibilities: The ECHO Coffee Roasters Origin Story
Saturday at 3:00pm
Discover ECHO Coffee Roasters, a social enterprise in Leesburg, Virginia, created by ECHO, a nonprofit supporting adults with disabilities, to provide meaningful work and skill development. Join Todd Goldian as he shares how his culinary background helped shape ECHO’s signature blend and how local partnerships are creating new opportunities. Through stories and guided tastings, guests will sample coffee-inspired foods and beverages developed with community partners, exploring how flavor and creativity can support ECHO’s mission.
Where Coffee Began: Exploring Ethiopia’s Coffee Culture & Tradition
Sunday at 10:30am
Experience coffee at its roots with Laheey Coffee Roasters in an interactive introduction to Ethiopia, widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee. Discover the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, explore its tools and techniques, and taste freshly prepared coffee during a live demonstration. Learn how buna (coffee) brings people together as a symbol of hospitality, community, and connection in Ethiopian culture.
Craft Chocolate 101: Why All Chocolate Isn’t Created Equal
Sunday at 12:00pm
Not all chocolate is made the same. Discover what separates artisan bean-to-bar chocolate from mass-market candy, and why ingredients, sourcing, and craftsmanship make such a dramatic difference in flavor. Krissee D’Aguiar of River-Sea Chocolates will take you behind the scenes of the bean-to-bar process while sharing how her award-winning chocolate is made from ethically sourced cacao around the world.
Chocolate in Europe: History, Culture, and How the Continent Enjoys It Today
Sunday at 1:30pm
Join Travel Advisor Beth Borrego on a sweet journey through Europe, tracing chocolate’s passage across the Atlantic to its place in Europe’s royal courts and everyday life. Explore the distinctive chocolate traditions of Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, and beyond—from pralines and rich hot chocolate to coffeehouse culture and today’s artisan chocolate makers. Then discover how European river cruises can bring you closer to these delicious traditions through chocolate-themed excursions and local experiences.
Meet the Sip & Share Seminar Speakers
Meyling Moreno Daniel Hymel Paul Olsen Krissee D'Aguiar Todd Goldian Ayantu Degefa Beth Borrego
Meyling Moreno is the founder of Café DusKaia, a Nicaraguan specialty coffee company led by eight sisters who farm coffee in San Juan de Río Coco in northern Nicaragua. Her family grows the coffee in Nicaragua, and Meyling roasts and serves it in the United States.
Daniel Hymel is the founder of Powhatan Chocolates & Coffee, a Virginia bean-to-bar company specializing in rare, heirloom, and ancestral cacao. Drawing on his background in technology and applied chemistry, he works with wild Amazonian cacao from Ecuador, supports growers through direct partnerships and profit-sharing, and creates chocolate recognized by the International Chocolate Awards.
Paul Olsen is a retired U.S. Army Intelligence Non-Commissioned Officer and co-founder of Weird Brothers Coffee, a community-focused, family-run small-batch roaster he started with his brother Kenny a decade ago. Inspired by his travels and commitment to helping others enjoy life, Paul continues their shared dream and honors Kenny’s legacy through every batch of freshly roasted coffee.
Krissee D’Aguiar is the co-founder and chief chocolate maker at River-Sea Chocolates. A graduate of the École Chocolat Professional Chocolate Making Program and an advisor to the U.S. Department of State’s Sustainable Cacao Supply Chain Task Force, she is also a sustainability advocate, paddleboard yoga teacher, and mother of four.
Todd Goldian is the Development Director at ECHO, a nonprofit supporting adults with disabilities. A Johnson & Wales University culinary graduate, he held chef roles at The Ritz-Carlton, The Inn at Little Washington, The Willard InterContinental, and The National Conference Center before transitioning to the nonprofit sector in 2021. He now draws on his culinary and hospitality experience to help develop ECHO Coffee Roasters’ blend, build community partnerships, and create meaningful work opportunities.
Ayantu Degefa is the founder of Laheey Coffee Roasters, a Maryland-based specialty coffee company rooted in her Ethiopian heritage. She combines coffee roasting, storytelling, and cultural education to connect customers with the traditions and communities behind their cup. Her work celebrates quality, sustainability, and the hospitality at the heart of Ethiopian coffee culture. Through Laheey, she introduces customers to coffees from Ethiopia and other origins while sharing the sense of community that has surrounded coffee for generations.
Beth Borrego is a Travel Advisor and co-owner of Cruise Planners in Germantown, Maryland. Specializing in river, ocean, and expedition cruises, guided tours, and custom vacations, she helps clients experience destinations through their history, culture, and local flavors. Beth brings firsthand travel experience, ongoing professional training, and a personal approach to every journey she plans. She also escorts select group trips, sharing her enthusiasm for discovery with her travelers. Her travel planning services are complimentary.
All Sip & Share Seminar sessions are included with your festival ticket and seating is first come, first served, so be sure to arrive early to grab a spot. Check out the interactive floor plan to start planning your experience — and don’t forget to get your discounted tickets today to experience this year’s lineup of chocolate and coffee programming!
