Nikki Menafra Acaia

Nikki began her career in coffee 15 years ago at a small drive-thru coffee stand. What started as an after-school gig grew into a lasting passion for coffee. She later spent time at Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco, CA, deepening her knowledge and refining her skills before stepping into a leadership role as manager at Chromatic Coffee in Santa Clara, CA. During her two years at Chromatic, she helped guide the team and organized local, community events. Along the way, she realized that what mattered most to her wasn’t just the coffee itself, but the relationships built behind the bar, across the counter, and within the broader coffee community. 

In 2018, Nikki made the move to Portland, OR and joined Water Avenue Coffee as their Hospitality Lead, continuing to blend warmth, leadership, and just the right amount of caffeine-fueled enthusiasm. In 2019, she joined Acaia as a Customer Support Specialist. What started as supporting customers evolved into helping Acaia in bigger ways. First as Office Supervisor for the Customer Support team, and now as the HR Generalist for the U.S. teams.

While Nikki is undeniably passionate about coffee, her real love is the people who make the coffee community what it is. She believes no idea is too small, especially when you’re surrounded by a thoughtful, driven, and slightly coffee-obsessed team. Being part of Acaia has only deepened that belief, and she’s grateful to work alongside people who care as much as she does.

If there’s one thing Nikki knows for sure, it’s that coffee builds community and she’s here for all of it.