Our product is only as good as the people making it, and Ground Control is lucky to have an exceptional staff across leadership, support, service, sales, marketing and production. Each and every team member has a hand in your brewer, and ensure you get the best product imaginable.

Meet the Crew

Eli Salomon

Co-founder and CEO

Eli Salomon

Eli first conceived of a new way for batch brewing while reflecting on the limited success of small coffee serving businesses.

Dr. Josh Avins

Co-founder and CTO

Dr. Josh Avins

Josh & Eli met and became great friends during their undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins. The architect, designer and co-founder of Ground Control, Josh built the first prototype with Eli in the kitchen, and the rest is history!

Jason Sarley

the coffee guy

Jason Sarley

After Josh and Eli invented Ground Control, they quickly reached out to Jason to better develop what had been discovered.

Sarah Palmer

Chief Operations Officer

Sarah Palmer

The prior director of global sales and marketing for Seattle-based espresso machine maker Synesso, Sarah brings operations, sales and marketing experience to the table at Ground Control, and helps lead our production and operations.

Shane Blais

Chief Customer Officer

Shane Blais

With 20+ years in the coffee industry,  Shane contributed to the early days of the commercial development of Ground Control, sharing his experience in the manufacturing, service, repair and overall support of coffee brewers and espresso machines.  He now leads our Customer Success Team.

Jeff Garon

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Jeff Garon

After a chance conversation about coffee with Eli on an elevator ride in San Francisco, Jeff was intrigued by Ground Control. After trying some truly amazing coffees on the machine, he was sold on the premise and joined the team soon after.

Scott Satterwhite

National Sales Manager

Scott Satterwhite

Scott has been supporting and guiding coffee and beverage businesses for over a decade. He’s open minded, caring, and wants to help you succeed. Scott loves nature, disc golf, music, beer, and their family; Lauren & Bo.

Bronwen Serna

Director of Operations and Brand Ambassador

Bronwen Serna

Bronwen loves coffee & people. She has spent many years in various roles in the Specialty Coffee Industry and now part of Ground Control continuing to learn about and being challenged by coffee.

Ken Price

Director of Operations

Ken Price

Having been with the company since the beginning of 2022, I have witnessed so much growth. It is a privilege to be working with the company in the capacity I am. I am comfortably nestled within the group and find it such a privilege to work with such a team that is so passionate about everything they do.

Elijah Mesina

Head of Quality Control and Training

Elijah Mesina

Hi, I’m Elijah. I handle all quality control and training for our employees. I have the privilege of ensuring that every machine that leaves our warehouse is up to the Ground Control standard.

Christopher Campisi

Assembler

Christopher Campisi

Christopher Campisi is a local mixed media artist who was born and raised in the Bay. At Ground Control he is mostly responsible for testing and some assembly work. He gets the machine to 208!

Dan Duran

Assembler

Dan Duran

Dan is one of our more seasoned assemblers. Introduced to the Twin (the Cyclops’ predecessor), at one of his previous employers, he was always curious to learn more about the Ground Control coffee machines. That curiosity  eventually led to his employment at Ground Control. He enjoys his job very much.

Jose Hernandez

Assembler

Jose Hernandez

Hello All, I’m Jose Hernandez. I’ve been working for Ground Control Coffee for a couple of years. I’ve been really happy working for the company since day 1. This is a really great company to work for and I can honestly say, “I have been excited to get to work at times. Everyone working here is cool and are good workers. I have seen a lot of people come and go, and this crew are by far the best when concerning production.”

Krystie Wong

Shipping & Receiving Supervisor

Krystie Wong

Hi! I’m Krystie, and I dedicate myself to adding value where I am capable. I am sincerely grateful to be employed here with Ground Control, and look forward to contributing to the team’s ongoing growth.

Nick Hall

Assembler

Nick Hall

My name is Nick and I’m an assembler here at Ground Control! I really enjoy making all the different parts that will eventually end up on our machines, I take pride in paying attention to each detail as I build to make sure that I have made the best possible part that I can make.

Raj Sibia

Assembler

Raj Sibia

Hi, I’m Raj! I work in production. My experience working here has been eye opening. This is a labor of love, down to the employee, and I hope all of our clients love using it as much as we love building it!

William Wester

Inventory & Purchasing Manager

William Wester

Hello, my name is William Wester. I grew up in Alabama, moved to the Bay in 2017. Some of my interests are being ourtoors, movies, and seeing loved ones.