GTI Program for Industry Professionals

Join fellow industry professionals for this 360° exploration of tea. Topics from the history and culture of tea to its science, growth, marketing and distribution will be discussed. Classes combining the convenience of online education with the networking and learning benefits of live instruction over Zoom will deliver new insights into this field. The program is open to the public. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will earn 3 Continuing Education Units.

Dates for the 2024/2025 Fall course will be announced soon!

General Topicsbefore

  • The Human Relationship with Tea: History, Culture and Health
  • Science and Growth of Tea: Camellia sinensis, Sensory, Taste, Grading, Organics and Sustainability
  • Tea Production and Sales: Manufacturing, Safety and Regulation, Social Justice and Politics
  • The Business of Tea: Marketing, Brand Management, Distribution, Supply Chain and Value Adding to Tea

Instructors

This program is taught by industry-leading professionals, including:

  • Bhavin Shah, CFO – International Tea Importers
  • Helen Hume, Group Head of Leaf Tea – Finlays
  • Paul Harney, VP – Harney & Sons Tea
  • Eliot Jordan, VP Tea – Mighty Leaf, Peet's Coffee
  • And More...

 

PDFs of course PowerPoints will be posted to the course site prior to lectures. We will introduce a discussion forum for each session where students may post pre-session questions. Questions will also be accepted in that same forum after the session to keep the conversation going.

Each session will be recorded and posted to the course site for student review. This will help those who plan to take the course asynchronously.

Enrollment information will be released soon! Stay tuned!

 

Example Course Layout:

UPDATED CPE PROGRAM

 

Student Feedback

Here's what students from the 2023/2024 cohort have to say about the course:

"I appreciated the variety of speakers/experience shared during the course. A lot of information was shared over the last few months, many of which worked off of information shared in previous sessions allowing the information to sink in more.

"Todo es excellent! (Everything is excellent!!!)"

"All guest speakers were very obviously knowledgeable about their area of expertise and passionate about the subject."

"As I am in the process of opening a small tea shop, the information has provided me a deeper understanding of tea that will allow me to better speak to customers about what they are getting or questions they may have. The session contents and speaking with others in the breakout groups has also helped me consider a few new ideas that I can see about integrating into my shop.

"I really enjoyed the course, and also having the opportunity to connect with a lot of people who love tea just like me!"