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Kris Carlson says Coffeekris sold the equivalent of more than 10 containers of green coffee in its first year, exceeding her cautious target of one. The Kansas City business connects roasters with 11 importing partners, with Carlson describing her role as a transparent sourcing curator rather than a conventional importer.
Kansas City-based Coffeekris sold more than 10 container-equivalents of green coffee in its first year, founder Kris Carlson said in an interview published by Daily Coffee News on October 21. Carlson had cautiously hoped to sell the equivalent of one container, and built the business to connect roasters with a portfolio of 11 importing partners.
Carlson describes Coffeekris as a green coffee sourcing business that acts as an authorized representative for specialized importers. Rather than bring coffee into the country as a conventional importer, she helps roasters find offerings from different suppliers through a single contact. She said importers compensate her for the connection, while roaster clients pay the same prices they would by buying directly from those companies.
The current portfolio includes partners such as Swift Coffee Sourcing, founded by Emily McIntyre; Optimist Coffee Traders, founded by former Mighty Peace Coffee co-founder Jim Ngokwey; and Benchmark Coffee Traders, founded by Vikram Patel. Carlson said she favors companies led by women and people from historically underrepresented groups, while keeping the selection broad enough to serve buyers ranging from small roasters to commercial-scale customers.
The sales figure and business model are Carlson’s account, reported by Daily Coffee News; the article does not provide independently audited sales data. Carlson also said the early growth has not made starting a company easy, and described herself as still learning. Her comments form part of a broader interview about her career, sourcing priorities and views on equity in coffee.
A Single Route to Multiple Importers
Coffeekris offers roasters a way to explore coffees from several importing companies without approaching each supplier separately. The arrangement could be useful to buyers with different purchasing needs: Carlson says she can work with customers ordering two bags or two containers, though specific availability and terms depend on the partner and coffee.
The model also puts attention on how green coffee is sourced and who is represented in trade relationships. Carlson says she selects partners with ethical practices and gives preference to businesses led by people underrepresented in the industry. Those are her stated business priorities, not an independently verified assessment of each partner’s practices. The reported sales provide an early indication of demand for the service, but do not by themselves establish profitability or longer-term performance.
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From Cafe Work to Sourcing
Carlson’s career spans more than a decade in cafes, roasting, wholesale and green coffee sales. She began as a barista at Take Five Coffee + Bar in Overland Park, Kansas, then worked at Kansas City-area roaster Revocup Coffee Roasters. She later moved into roasting and wholesale roles and took part in industry activities, including competing as a Glitter Cat Roaster and volunteering as a stage manager for the U.S. Coffee Roasters Championship.
Her move into green coffee came through work with Mighty Peace Coffee, an importer focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo that has since ceased operations, and later Anthem Coffee Imports. Carlson said those roles took her to coffee origins in Latin America, East Africa and Asia, where she cupped and selected lots and built relationships with producers and exporters. She launched Coffeekris in 2025, drawing on the network and experience developed through those earlier jobs.
In the interview, Carlson also discussed the personal and professional support she received from colleagues at Revocup after her mother died by suicide. She said that experience shaped how she speaks about the community behind her career. Her account adds personal context to the profile, while the central business development is Coffeekris’s launch and reported first-year sales.
“Unlike most brokers, I’m transparent. You know exactly who I’m working with, why, and where the coffee is coming from. There’s no gatekeeping knowledge.”
— Kris Carlson, speaking to Daily Coffee News
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Sales and Sourcing Details
The reported sales total comes from Carlson, and the article does not specify the exact period covered, provide supporting records or clarify how container-equivalents were calculated. It also does not report Coffeekris’s revenue, costs, profitability or repeat-purchase rate. Those details would be needed to assess the company’s financial performance beyond the sales volume Carlson described.
The profile does not list all 11 importing partners or provide independent evaluations of their sourcing standards. It is also not clear how Coffeekris’s portfolio or sales have changed since the interview, or whether the company expects growth to continue at the same pace.
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No Next Milestone Announced
The source report does not identify a scheduled product launch, expansion or other next milestone for Coffeekris. Carlson’s account points to ongoing work matching roasters with coffees from its importing partners, but it gives no forecast for future sales. Buyers interested in particular lots or volumes would need to check availability and terms with Coffeekris or the relevant importer.
Further reporting could clarify the company’s current partner list, the basis for its container-equivalent sales figure and whether first-year growth has continued. Until then, the clearest measure of progress remains Carlson’s reported comparison between her initial one-container goal and sales exceeding 10 containers.
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Key Questions
What is Coffeekris?
Coffeekris is a green coffee sourcing business founded by Kris Carlson in Kansas City in 2025. It represents a network of importers and helps roasters find coffees through one point of contact.
How much coffee did Coffeekris sell in its first year?
Carlson told Daily Coffee News that sales exceeded the equivalent of 10 containers, compared with her initial goal of one container. The profile does not provide audited figures or a detailed calculation of the total.
Do roasters pay extra to buy through Coffeekris?
Carlson said importers compensate her for referrals and that roasters pay the same prices they would when buying directly from the importers. The report does not provide individual price lists or transaction terms.
Which importers work with Coffeekris?
The profile names Swift Coffee Sourcing, Optimist Coffee Traders and Benchmark Coffee Traders among the business’s 11 importing partners. It does not identify the full portfolio.
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