About
Hello! We are Philipp, Mars, Kate and Javi!
We believe coffee is for everyone - no exclusivity, no pretensions. Whether you're a coffee connoisseur or simply enjoy your daily brew, we're here to be part of your everyday ritual. Since our founding in 2016, our mission is to provide high-quality, accessible coffee while fostering community and connection. From sourcing to roasting, we prioritise transparency, ensuring that both our partners and customers are treated fairly and with respect.
Our team is driven by curiosity and a passion for continuous learning. With expertise in gastronomy, roasting, and green coffee trade, we approach coffee as both a craft and a conversation starter. We're committed to reliable service and creating a positive change in the coffee industry. We’re a space where relationships are brewed, one cup at a time.
Founder, General Manager
Philipp Reichel
Born and raised in Berlin, Philipp didn’t start in coffee, he first studied sound engineering. But once he discovered the world of hospitality, things moved fast. He joined the team at Markthalle Neun and helped open Kaffee 9 in 2013, a café that became a gateway into the deeper world of coffee, and the human connections it creates.
In 2015, Philipp founded the Berlin Coffee Festival , which he curated until the pandemic paused it. But he couldn’t stay still. So together with ceecee he launched Coffee Week Berlin - running strong for the past two years and gearing up for a third edition this year without him. In 2016 Vote Coffee was born inside the rooms of Kaffee9.
In the same whirlwind year, he co-founded Isla Coffee Berlin with his friend Peter - a café that still holds strong today.
His drive to connect people through coffee led to the founding of Communal Coffee in 2022, Berlin’s first co-roastery, now home to over 15 independent roasters.
And when he’s not roasting, brewing, or building community, you’ll probably find him running through the woods, dancing like there’s no tomorrow, or hanging in his hammock, unplugged and recharging.
A quote from Philipp :
“Coffee is so much more than a tasty, caffeinated brew. It connects people across the world, through stories, through taste, and the endless joy of exploring it. One of the most social products there is.”
Head of Coffee
Mars Ng
Mars began her career in hospitality and hotel management, working nearly a decade in Hong Kong before making a big change and moving to London. On a two-year working holiday visa, she explored the city and its café scene, working her way from runner to barista to manager in a specialty coffee/brunch shop. Another visa opportunity took her to Berlin, where she continued as a barista and soon applied for a roasting position - sparking her passion for both roasting and bringing coffee people together by hosting community cuppings.
In 2023, Mars joined Vote as Head Roaster, QC, and Green Buying and started roasting and consulting for Communal Coffee . A highlight came in 2024, when she placed 2nd in the SCA Germany Roasting Championship - the first woman to ever place in this category. The same year, she visited the farms of some of our green coffee suppliers in Colombia and Mexico and was invited to be a speaker at the Women Powered Coffee Summit in Veracruz. In 2025 she returned to the summit in Chiapas to host a roasting workshop.
Following her tradition of bold leaps, Mars became a freelance roaster, consultant and Q-Grader in 2025. She also co-founded the CC Cupping Club together with Sari Haavisto of Populus Coffee . Beyond coffee, she loves decorating her flat, learning to knit, playing piano, camping, cinema trips, weekend markets - and keeping her music taste strictly private 🤫
Production Manager + Communications
Kate Pinkstone
Brand new to the coffee world in 2025. Kate grew up in Australia and moved to Berlin in 2011 to pursue an internship a sustainable fashion label, after studying fashion design in Sydney. In 2012 Kate opened her own clothing store SHIO in Neukölln - designing and producing sustainable, every day basics. Running a small business meant wearing many other hats too - visual merchandising, web design, e-commerce, marketing, and social media, while also managing a shared studio space for independent designers. After 13 years in the biz she decided to close up shop and join forces with her husband Philipp at Vote Coffee to not only boss him around but also bring organisation and creativity to the team. She’s now the Production Manager - keeping all our b2b and b2c customers happy and in charge of Communications - including our website, e-commerce, marketing and social media, all along the way learning a tonne of coffee knowledge from Mars.
When she’s not getting her steps in at Communal Coffee she’s renovating a forest house in Müggelheim and gardening. She enjoys podcasts, disco, 80’s bangers, crumpets, weather over 30 degrees and beach ☀️
