Some partnerships grow slowly, one relationship at a time.
We’ve been working with Intermix since 2023, when they began distributing Wildflyer coffee throughout the Twin Cities office hospitality scene.
But our relationship goes back even further—to when their sales manager and our personal favorite Welshman, Barnaby, volunteered to lead our Bar 101 classes.
PC: Nate Celeste
We sat down with the Intermix team to talk about why they’ve continued investing in Wildflyer, what they’ve learned from our graduates, and why they chose to become an Employment Partner:
Q: You’re huge supporters of Wildflyer and have been for a long-time, what makes Intermix want to keep supporting us?
We've been selling Wildflyer coffee since 2023, though our connection goes back even further. Our sales manager, Barnaby, volunteered with Wildflyer before we ever became a customer, and made the connection for us. The tangible impact of this program is clear. You can see it in action at their shops, and when you meet alumni from the program. It has been inspiring to find ways to connect more deeply with the work and the people involved.
Q: What inspired the vision for building out this new internship experience?
In June 2026, a few people from our leadership team attended an alumni meeting that Derrek hosted. We wanted to learn more about what happens with the cohort after graduation and how we could be more involved. During that conversation, it became clear there was an opportunity for us to help build a bridge for graduates who want to stay in the coffee industry but maybe don't want to work behind the counter anymore. As we grow, we always need warehouse staff, and we knew our service shop offered a good opportunity for someone interested in the technical side of coffee. From there, we worked with Derrek to develop a plan for two internship roles at Intermix/ESI.
Q: How did having Derrek/the Alumni Program as a support allow you to feel confident in setting up this program and hiring our graduates?
Derrek was an excellent facilitator from the start. He came out to tour our space and talk through what an internship could look like with our leadership team. Then he coordinated a group tour and interview process. Derrek has been a great resource in starting this internship. He’s really been an advocate for both [the graduates] and for us as we navigate this new program together.
Q: What made you attend our Employment Connect event?
Barnaby invited us to the event. We did not know what to expect, but we knew it would be a valuable way to connect with Wildflyer and the community. We learned more about the details of the cohort model and how we could potentially support graduates as they transition out of the program.
Q: What do you wish other employers could know/understand about hiring Wildflyer graduates?
The support from Wildflyer is strong, and the process has taught us a lot about how to really invest in this partnership. Graduates come out of the program driven and wanting to succeed. Having Derrek as a resource to ensure we are supporting the interns in a congruent way with the program has been so valuable. We feel like we are in this together and not on our own.
Q: What are your hopes for the future of this collaboration?
We have a large network of restaurants, hotels, and cafes as our client base, and we'd love to connect that network directly with Wildflyer for employment and internship opportunities. We've talked about hosting open houses here at Intermix to introduce our network to the Wildflyer community. These events could hopefully show graduates how their skills translate into all kinds of jobs across the industry.