Originally from the Fargo-Moorhead area, Helena moved to small-town Minnesota for college, where she first started working in coffee and, unexpectedly, never left. After competing in her first barista competition, she fell in love with the specialty coffee industry as a whole and spent more than a decade growing alongside the same cafe before eventually becoming a co-owner. After years in specialty coffee, joining Cafe Imports felt like a natural fit.
Outside of work, Helena enjoys volleyball, gardening, cooking overly ambitious meals, and emotionally preparing for another Minnesota Vikings season with her husband, son, and two dogs.