About our Team
Gourmet Source was formed to provide specialty coffee and smoothie professionals with a reliable, focused, and well informed source of product knowledge and industry information.
Gourmet Source offers its clients (both customers and principals) a high level of practical experience, know-how and insight into the specialty coffee / smoothie industry.
Gourmet Source strives to be the most knowledgeable and reliable source of product and industry information available within the specialty coffee market.
Gourmet Source has achieved these goals while representing a select assortment of "best in class" product lines produced by industry leading manufacturers.
Meet the Gourmet Source team:
Doug Podzilni - President and National Account Manager
Doug is the President and founder of Gourmet Source Food Brokers. He holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Santa Clara University. He has over 15 years of applied sales and marketing management experience while working for Cargill Inc. and Ghirardelli Chocolate. Much of his time is focused on National Account Management, principal development, and sales leadership with the Gourmet Source team.
Rhonda Slone - National Inside Sales and Customer Support Manager
Rhonda has been with Gourmet Source since the company was founded. She graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College with a degree in Applied Science. Prior to joining Gourmet Source, Rhonda was the inside sales coordinator at Ghirardelli's field office in Milwaukee, WI. Rhonda has a very strong background in product management and customer service. She is responsible for all aspects of customer needs including order development, sample requests, shipping coordination, and qualifying sales leads. Rhonda is a vital part of Gourmet Source’s success.
Kurt Blum - Northeast Regional Sales Manager
Kurt joined Gourmet Source in the fall of 2002. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Economics. Kurt has worked with some of the top sales focused companies in the nation and developed a strong background in sales, marketing, and customer support. During his time with Gourmet Source, he has covered 30 different states in all four time zones while learning the subtleties and trends of the specialty coffee industry. Much of Gourmet Source’s growth can be contributed to Kurt’s account development.
Anna Gutierrez - Northwest Regional Sales Manager
Anna joined Gourmet Source in the spring of 2011. She has been an active player in the specialty coffee industry for over 13 years, lecturing at the annual SCAA convention as well as Coffee Fest, judging at the regional/national Barista competitions, is an active member of the Barista Guild of America and has experience working with large chain and franchise specialty coffee businesses across the United States.
Anna has authored several articles in Fresh Cup, Barista Magazine and Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, focusing on blended beverages as well as the importance of product selection for businesses. The November 2005 issue of Las Vegas Food and Beverage magazine also had a feature on Anna.
She developed a niche in signature drinks competitions starting in 2005 winning Monin’s coveted Zen Master title. She also holds two 1st place honors through Stirling syrups Beverage Open and four winning titles through Pacific Foods’ Top Cup Challenge. It goes without saying that Anna possesses a "passion" for all things specialty coffee!
Grant Blum - Southwest Regional Sales Manager
Grant joined Gourmet Source in the fall of 2005. He studied Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee before refocusing his efforts on Business Administration. Grant has become an integral part of the Gourmet Source team by building and maintaining relationships within three sales territories. While Grant attributes most of his practical experience to absorbing the finer details of the Coffee Industry, his customers have stated that his industry knowledge and customer relations have proven to be a vital source to his success.
Heather Kelley - Southeast Regional Sales Manager
Heather has been working in the coffee industry for well over a decade. Along with her degree in Marketing and her MBA from Azusa Pacific University, Heather has worked in all facets of the coffee industry, starting as a barista in the Northwest, roaster sales rep, distributor sales rep, and broker regional sales manager. Heather's strong background in coffee house menu development, business consulting, and training makes her a strong player on the team. She has a passion for coffee and therefor a passion for the best quality allied products.
