Meet the Hackberry Team
Hackberry Tea is a small roastery with a lot of help. What's missing from this list are countless hours of friends giving advice and support. This business is run by the people below, but it exists because of the selfless contribution of many unnamed friends and family members that keep giving their time to help us grow.

Matt Kellso
Matt was born in Michigan but spent my childhood in South Carolina before moving to Tempe, Arizona at age 10. The East Valley has been home to him ever since, despite the brutal summers that still test his patience.
After earning an Industrial Engineering degree from Arizona State University, he spent a decade at Intel and 15 years at Spencer's TV & Appliance doing process improvement and forecasting. In 2012, he turned his coffee roasting hobby into Sagebrush Coffee, which naturally evolved to include Hackberry Tea as he discovered the same passion for sourcing and educating applied to both.
In April 2020, he left corporate life to focus on our businesses full-time. COVID pushed us to expand our production facility and finally open our brick-and-mortar shop. These years have deepened his relationships with international suppliers, nothing beats talking with farmers about how their dedication makes our Chandler business possible.
He loves the entire industry: the community of local shops, the constant learning, and especially sharing knowledge with customers. When not cupping new teas or overthinking brewing temperatures, he serves as pastor at Grace Bible Church in Tempe, reads constantly, and explores tea and coffee shops with his family, Jenna, Jonathan & his wife Diana, Noah, and Eden, who all contribute to making Hackberry special.
Office & Production Team
You may not see this group at the coffee shop, but they're very much involved in everything you see at Sagebrush.

Cameron Dodd
Education Specialist:
Cameron was born in Tucson, Arizona, but has been a Phoenix native since she was 12. She joined the Sagebrush team in February of 2025 as our Education Specialist where she gets to inform customers and co-workers alike of the wonders of specialty coffee! When she’s not working, you can find her reading, writing, being involved at her church, trying new restaurants/coffee shops, and going on trips with her kids.

Jonathan Kellso
Shop Manager / Brand Manager / Barista :
Jonathan has been a part of Hackberry for over 10 years. Since creating the logo, he has stepped into the role as head of branding and design for the company and produces all of the photography and packaging design. Along with branding, he manages operations of the coffee bar, training baristas and developing new drinks with our assistant managers. He is also plugged into his church and plays bass on the worship team. In his free time, he loves going out with his wife, Diana to new restaurants. He and Diana also run an online vintage clothing store called Nosy Ghost Vintage and spend the majority of their downtime photographing new pieces, writing descriptions, and sourcing new clothing.

Zoë Maiden
Office Manager / Media Development:
Zoë became a part of the Hackberry team in 2016 where she took on the role of lead packager and office manager. In 2019, after having her first child, she transitioned to working remotely and focuses mainly on product creation and email marketing management. When not working, Zoë enjoys spending quality time with her husband Seth and her two children, Zander (5) and Saylor (2.5). She loves exploring local restaurants and coffee shops, reading, traveling, and interior design. Did we mention that she is also Matt's younger sister?

Sarah Young
Production Manager:
Sarah joined the Sagebrush team in October of 2019 as our Production Lead and is now our Head Roaster as well. She was born in Torrance, California, but moved to the valley when she was just 3 years old. She lives in Gilbert and loves it. She has worked with kids before for many years and is also a certified nail technician. Coffee is a constant companion and drinking it is one of her favorite hobbies. If she isn’t drinking coffee, she loves spending time with her friends, reading books, or doing anything that involves Disney!
Baristas & Shop Managers
If you've been into our coffee shop & roastery in Chandler, you've probably had the joy of meeting one of our baristas. We have the best group!

Grant McMartin
Barista / Assistant Manager / Event Coordinator:
Grant has been with the team since 2023 and is one of our managers here at Sagebrush. He loves to explore new coffee shops and breweries throughout the country. He’s originally from Minnesota, but moved to Phoenix to get his degree from GCU. Grant loves Sagebrush and thinks you would love it too!

Shelby Peiser
Barista / Assistant Manager:
Shelby joined the Sagebrush team after moving to Arizona from Chicago, Illinois, where she was born and raised. She loves food, music, animals, and traveling. A fun fact about her is that she spent six months traveling, three of which were spent caring for wild howler monkeys in Belize. In the future, she hopes to open her own cafe and visit as many countries as possible.

Chris Ramirez
Barista / Assistant Manager:
Chris joined our Sagebrush family in March of 2023. He has a passion for food and drink and before joining us, he worked as a barista at Starbucks for a few years. When not at work or school, he likes learning about history, trying new coffee places with friends, or playing video games. He also enjoys all things Marvel and has a passion for traveling!

Eden Kellso
Barista / In-House Baker:
Eden is Matt's youngest child and only daughter. She is a college student and enjoys cooking and doing her nails in her free time. Her main role at Sagebrush is as our baker and head of menu development but you'll also see her on bar usually with a Matcha in hand.

Noah Kellso
Barista / Shop Projects / Classroom Instructor:
Noah, the second oldest Kellso sibling, is a barista at our coffee bar and teacher for some of the classes we offer. His dedication to Hackberry has been present ever since the company's beginning, and he got started as an official employee as quickly as he could. Noah is currently attending ASU at their sculpture program to get the skills necessary to become a furniture designer. He fills his free time with various hobbies such as playing video games, sewing, listening to music, and hanging out with friends.

Janna Knight
Barista:
In Janna's mind, quality coffee and sustainability go hand in hand. Her love of specialty coffee roasting developed at a young age, when her parents got into the coffee industry themselves. Janna has always had a passion for the outdoors, and earned her bachelor’s degree in conservation and environmental biology. She previously worked as an outdoor camp educator, a seasonal grassland bird research technician, and now enjoys learning about Arizona’s biodiversity while developing her skills as a barista! In her free time, she loves birdwatching, playing cello, and getting into crafts or puzzles. Janna is fascinated by every aspect of coffee cultivation, and loves getting to work with a team that highlights the producers behind each amazing cup of coffee.

Cole Simpson
Barista / Syrup Prep:
Cole began working at Sagebrush in September of 2024. He has always loved coffee and has enjoyed being in an environment where he can further grow his skills and knowledge. Outside of the coffee shop, Cole likes to make music, with his main focus being on singing and guitar. He is currently working on a self produced EP that he hopes to release in the next few months. Beyond that he likes exploring new places, being outside, and catching up with friends.