ROBERTO ANTONIO TORRES

PRESIDENT, BLIND TIGER COFFEE ROASTERS – BLACK & DENIM APPAREL CO., TAMPA

Blind Tiger is an independent coffee roaster in the Tampa Bay area. It operates seven cafes and offers hospitality, food service and wholesale solutions for branded and private label coffee-related products. Torres moved to Florida from his native Panama for college and never looked back. He mentors young entrepreneurs in his region. He serves as board chair for the Hispanic Services Council, board member for Feeding Tampa Bay and board member for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Corp.

EDUCATION: Florida State University (BS)

FIRST JOB: My first job was in a Mexican taqueria. It showed me the value of hard work, dedication and sacrifice.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: Formula 1 driver

SOMETHING SURPRISING: I love playing Tetris. I play on a daily basis and have been playing since I was 11 years old.

MENTEE IMPACT: Our first graphic design intern was Emma. Emma is now an arts educator. Having given her the opportunity to earn a living while she was honing her craft was paramount. Gives me a reason to keep hiring interns and students.

INDUSTRY TREND: Sustainability. Climate change is affecting the way that growers, farmers and brokers do business. Coffee is also a commodity. So, the idea of having this readily available is sometimes confusing to consumers. Coffee is so necessary and complex. We have to protect it and make sure we are able to make it fair for all parties involved.