NCA Rising Star Award
Nominations for the 2027 award cycle will open in September. Sign up to be notified when nominations open.
2026 Rising Star Award Recipient
Nora Johnson
Senior Director, Commodities, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA
Nora Johnson is the Sr. Director of Commodities with Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA (MZB USA), one of the largest private label coffee manufacturers and owner of several retail coffee brands, including Chock full o’Nuts®, Kauai Coffee®, Hills Bros.®, and Segafredo Zanetti®. In her role, Nora leads the team responsible for green coffee procurement, futures hedging and risk management, inbound logistics, and green coffee quality.
Nora joined the NCA Next Gen community in 2020. Since then, she has held the leadership roles of Committee Chair, Vice Chair, and now Chair of the Next Gen Council, supporting key initiatives such as the Next Gen Coffee Challenge, the NCA Mentorship Program, and other Next Gen programming. Nora also serves as a current member of the Green Coffee Association Board of Directors and is a licensed Q Grader.
Nora Johnson commented:
"I am deeply honored to receive the inaugural Rising Star Award. Thank you to the NCA and to everyone who has supported my growth and education within the industry. There truly is no community quite as special as the coffee community, and I look forward to building on this growth for many years to come.”