Hackberry Tea is a small business with a lot of help. What's missing from this list are countless hours of friends giving advice and support and buying those bags of tea when we weren't quite a business yet. This business is run by the people below, but it exists because of the selfless contribution of many unnamed friends and family members that just keep giving their time to help us grow.

Sarah Young

Production Manager

Sarah joined the Hackberry team in October of 2019 as our Production Lead and is the Head Roaster for our sister company, Sagebrush Coffee, 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. Tea and coffee are constant companions and drinking them is one of her favorite hobbies. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her friends, reading books, or doing anything that involves Disney!

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 focused mainly on creating products and managing email marketing. 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?

Jonathan Kellso

Media Development / Menu Development / Bar Manager

Jonathan, Matt’s oldest son, has been a part of Hackberry since the beginning. He has always been very creatively driven, dedicating the majority of his time to musical production, graphic design, photography, digital art, painting, etc. He is working towards a presence in the local Phoenix music scene under the moniker “Candy Soup.” At both Hackberry Tea and Sagebrush Coffee, he is the head of media development and is responsible for branding, packaging, videography, photography, and web development. Additionally, he manages the espresso bar at our Sagebrush Coffee location in Chandler, where you can try our tea in person! On a typical Friday night, you can catch Jonathan with friends producing funny videos and creating music.

Noah Kellso

Barista

Noah, Matt's youngest son, is our production assistant and is in charge of all weekend shipments. Additionally, he works on bar at Sagebrush Coffee, where you can our delicious teas in addition to our sister company's coffees! Noah is currently taking college courses to get the prerequisites needed for Arizona State University's architectural program with the hopes of eventually pursuing a master's degree in interior design. In his free time, Noah is constantly finding new hobbies and enjoys listening to music. 

Isaiah Martin

Barista / Assistant Manager

Isaiah recently graduated high school and is now taking college courses and training to get his EMT certificate. He hopes to eventually become a firefighter or nurse. At Sagebrush, Isaiah works as a barista and enjoys cupping new coffees. In his free time, he likes to draw and play the piano. 

Shelby Peiser

Barista / Assistant Manager

Shelby joined the Hackberry 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.

Grant McMartin

Barista

Grant began working for Hackberry almost a year ago and has been a great addition to the barista team at our coffee and tea shop. He is currently a junior at Grand Canyon University and is studying business management with a minor in Biblical studies. Grant has had a passion for tea and coffee since he was young, but never got the opportunity to pursue it as a career. In his free time, he loves to explore coffee shops, discover new music, and serve in his church. Grant is originally from Minnesota but is looking forward to making a home out of the Valley.

Eden Kellso

Barista

 

Eden is Matt's youngest child and only daughter. She is a student at Hamilton High School and enjoys cooking and doing her nails in her free time. Her main role at Hackberry/Sagebrush is as a barista but she also spends time in the back of the shop developing our food menu. She is currently working towards her driving permit and is excited to be able to drive on her own soon! 

Nikki Nguyen

Barista

 

Nikki joined the Hackberry/Sagebrush team as a barista in early 2023. She is a student working toward her goal of becoming a general dentist. Nikki loves coffee, playing games, and learning about biology. In her free time, you can catch her visiting San Diego, where she's originally from, or resting at home with her dog, Scotch Tape! 

Chris Ramirez

Barista 

Chris joined our Hackberry family in March. He has a passion for food and drink and before joining us, he worked as a barista at Starbucks for a few years. In addition to being part of our team, Chris is a student pursuing his dream of teaching in a foreign country. When not at work or school, he likes learning about history, trying new coffee and tea places with friends, or playing video games. He also enjoys all things Marvel and has a passion for traveling!

Cole Simpson

Barista 

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.