North Central Graduate’s Passion Brews into a Career

Justin Simbol ’20 / M ’24 studied business at North Central, both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student. While earning his MBA, his experience in the College’s Coffee Lab ignited a passion and paved a path toward starting his career with Dutch Bros. Coffee.

Why did you choose North Central? 
I chose North Central because I felt it was a place where I would succeed.  

When I toured the campus, I felt the sense of community right away. Because of the smaller class sizes, you know that you can talk to your professors after class, that you’re going to recognize and get to know your classmates, and that you’re going to build relationships throughout every semester. 

How did attending North Central help you prepare for your career? 
North Central helped me discover my career path. My undergrad degree in economics and finance taught me that business can be a vessel for change. My master’s showed me where I want to work to see that change happen.

Working as a graduate assistant at North Central’s Coffee Lab developed my passion for business and the coffee industry and connected me with so many people—which ultimately helped me land my new job at Dutch Bros. Coffee. I’m working as a demand planning specialist, doing product forecasting and planning for the stores’ needs as the company expands.

How did you first get involved with the Coffee Lab? What did you learn? 
One of my professors invited me to a meeting for the Enactus team, the faculty-student collaboration that partners with farmers and artisans in Guatemala to sell coffee, chocolates and artisan products through North Central’s Coffee Lab. Enactus taught me about social entrepreneurship—the idea that you can change the world through business and make others’ lives better.

You were able to travel to Guatemala. What do those trips mean to you?  
I traveled twice with the Enactus team to visit our partners in Guatemala. In business, you don’t always get to meet your suppliers. Through Enactus and the Guatemala trips, we were able to put names and faces to the coffee we’re drinking.  

It was eye-opening to hear the farmers talk about how grateful they are for our partnership and for the students to visit them and listen to their stories. Speaking personally, I am extremely grateful that they were gracious enough to let us visit. It filled me with a lot of pride to be able to say that North Central, Enactus and the Coffee Lab are in a position to partner with the farmers in those communities. 

Who were some people instrumental to your experience at North Central?  
The faculty and staff involved in running the Coffee Lab and Enactus were instrumental: Jerry Thalmann, associate professor of accounting, Dr. Matthew Krystal, professor of anthropology, and Amy Rogers ’95, Coffee Lab operations manager. Their support helped me succeed in college. 

Another person was Jim McDermet M ’92, an alum and trustee of the College, who has been involved in the success of the Coffee Lab since its founding. I learned from him about the corporate coffee industry—what it looks like now and where it might be headed—which solidified my decision to continue in the industry.  

As a student, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed in college. But being involved on campus is really nice, because you build relationships with peers, friends and mentors who can help you build connections in your field.