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EUN CHO
Spending 15 years in the hustle and bustle of the finance industry in New York City taught Eun Cho ' 03 a bit about coffee — and not just from drinking it every day .
It was there he built upon the foundation established during his undergraduate education at Jacksonville University , preparing him to become co-founder of Haymaker Coffee .
Haymaker must consistently deliver a great cup of coffee and let our customers know that the people behind the coffee work as hard as they do .
Eun Cho ' 03
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“ Once I was in the job , I was able to work on complex financial models and had the proficiency to effectively communicate those models and my thoughts ,” Cho said . “ That helped me advance in my career quickly . As I pivoted to coffee , I ’ m using the same skill set that helped me in my previous career .”
He and two partners , all three Jacksonville natives , started Haymaker Coffee in 2020 . They saw a gap in the market for coffee that “ fuels the people who persevere , who hustle and who have the give-it-your-all mentality ,” Cho said .
Given his former career in finance , Cho places high priority on analyzing market and customer data to fuel the company ’ s growth . And tapping into the Jacksonville market and utilizing Jacksonville University ’ s alumni network has been invaluable , he said .
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Cho participated in the five-year combined plan program , which for him , included three years at JU completing a degree in engineering physics and philosophy and two years at Columbia University in New York majoring in operations research . His dual degree , plus a minor in philosophy , set him apart from other applicants , and landed him his first finance job in New York City .
“ I want Haymaker Coffee to be the coffee for hard-working people ,” he said . “ Haymaker must consistently deliver a great cup of coffee and let our customers know that the people behind the coffee work as hard as they do . It has the potential to be the next big thing coming out of Jacksonville . Hopefully , down the road , it can become one of the most recognizable brands in the world .”