It’s not even April yet, but it’s already been a big year for Cup of Joe. This month, we welcomed Janelle back from parental leave (and the wild birth of her third child!). And our amazing longtime contributor, Kelsey Miller, has officially joined the team as a senior editor. We bid a sweet farewell to Maureen after seven amazing years with us and our new Partnership Director is none other than my friend Alison Piepmeyer! Since we’ve got a new team full of familiar faces, we’d love to come behind the scenes and introduce ourselves…
Joanna Goddard
Founder and Editor
A former magazine writer, I started Cup of Joe in 2007 as a weekend hobby, but then grew it into a massive daily website featuring a wide variety of writers and photographers. I also launch in 2023 big saladOur weekly newsletter about style, design, and relationships, which is the #1 fashion/beauty publication on Substack. I live in Brooklyn with my two talkative boys.
Drink for breakfast: Homemade cinnamon tea; Or walking with your neighborhood dad friend to get coffee.
childhood nickname: My dad still calls me Fofans, inspired by that “Banana Fana Fo-Fana” song. What my brothers and sisters and cousins call me. Now whenever someone calls me “Joe”, I immediately feel closer to them.
Favorite after work activity: Hanging out with my two cheerful boys. The fifteen/teen years have been my favorite so far. Sure, they may be moody, but they also keep me laughing and watching dairy girlsShare smart observations about life, and still want conversation and cuddles while you sleep.
celebrity crush: andy samberg inside Palm Springs. I would happily get stuck in a time loop.
The book that changed my life: when i read The Catcher in the Rye In high school, I saw Holden Caulfield as a sexy bad boy. He grew up in Manhattan! He smoked! But when I read it again as a forty-year-old mother, my heart ached for that lost, lonely 16-year-old girl. I realized how much our perspectives can change based on our own experiences and life stages. I always try to keep that in mind.
kelsey miller
senior editor
kelsey Is a culture writer, and author of three books including her memoir, big girland the best-selling pop-culture history book, I’ll be there for you. His first novel, old moneyWas published in 2025. Among other things, she frequently writes about the impact of diet culture and the development of body positive movement. She likes Polish cinema, strange history and long swims. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.
Visit weekday breakfast: On a good day, jammy eggs and buttered sourdough toast. On a typical day, my daughter Margot’s leftovers.
childhood nickname: Wankin. My father made it when I was born – it’s a combination of “wunderkind” and “pumpkin” (I had jaundice!).
Favorite after work activity: Once a week, some school-mom friends and I take our kids to Shake Shack for dinner. This is a respite time in the middle of the week; Everyone gets some social time, and no one has to have dinner when we get home.
celebrity crush: Bowen Yang. I know.
The book that changed my life: holidays on iceBy David Sedaris. In particular, the essay, Santaland Diaries. My high-school English teacher asked us to read it out loud in class the day before winter break, and we all cried laughing. we were surprised It was so ridiculous – it seemed impossible. It was one of those moments that showed me how powerful good writing can be.
Alison Piepmeyer
Partnership Director
Alison has spent 20 years working with and leading marketing, brands and influencers social media agency. He and his family relocated from the West Coast to New York in 2021. She loves a good audiobook and will always say yes to hosting a bagel brunch. She lives with her husband Zach, son Linus, and daughter Georgie. (Also, remember her week of outfits and house tour?)
Visit weekday breakfast: i like a bowl Trader Joe’s Goat YogurtMuesli, with chia seeds and a handful of berries.
childhood nickname: Ali
Favorite after work activity: Watch cheesy reality shows (like The Secret Life of Mormon Wives!)
celebrity crush: Michael B. Jordan. When he won the Oscar, I said to my husband, ‘Wow, that guy is hot.’
The book that changed my life: I’m not usually one for self-help girls, but mindset I really got it. It changed the way I think about failure, criticism, and growth — and honestly, it has helped me become a better parent than any actual parenting book I’ve read.
christine pride
Race Matters Columnist
christine Is a writer, editor, and French fry enthusiast. He worked in publishing for 20 years before moving to “the other side” to write novels. He has written two articles with Joe Piazza: we are not like themAnd you were always mine. His solo debut, All the men I’ve loved againWas published in 2025. She also writes for newspapers, book ahead. Christine lives in Harlem, New York.
Visit weekday breakfast: I don’t eat breakfast! This is not intentional; I never feel hungry till noon.
childhood nickname: My family calls me Christy.
Favorite after work activity: Watch all TV. And I mean all of it.
celebrity crush: Girl: Tracee Ellis Ross. Boy: Regé-Jean Page – He Called Me bridgerton.
The book that changed my life: My own first novel, we are not like them. It changed the direction of my career and my entire life.
Janelle Sanchez
senior editor
Janelle has always loved talking to people and listening to their stories. After graduating with a journalism degree, she wrote on the marketing teams of various tech companies before joining Cup of Joe in 2021. Janelle lives in the Bay Area with her husband and three children.
Visit weekday breakfast: Coffee (with a splash of half-and-half and a spoonful of sugar!), and toast with butter and strawberry jam.
childhood nickname: Growing up, my whole family called me Janelle (Janelle-ee) – and still does. Sometimes when a stranger reads my name out loud, they pronounce it “Janelle” and I instantly feel like a four-year-old girl.
Favorite after work activity: A week ago, my five-year-old daughter Ella and I planted some Cups of Sun seeds, and now we love watering the garden and watching new shoots sprout each day.
celebrity crush: From Jess Mariano Gilmore Girls. He knows how to crave and writes notes in the margins!
The book that changed my life: little Women. This was the first classic book I read as a child, and I revisit it every few years. It has taught me a lot about childhood, family, friendship and love.
caitlyn tierce
senior newspaper editor
kaitlyn is the senior editor of big saladwhere she interviews authors like barbara kingsolver, katherine newmanAnd Roxane Gay. His essay collection, Small Apocalypses: Essays on Motherhood, Climate Change, and Hope at the End of the World Debut next month. She lives in Washington state with her husband and two children.
Visit weekday breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast – ideally freshly ground peanut butter, the shinier the better.
childhood nickname: Professionally, I go by Caitlin, but almost everyone who knows me outside of work calls me Katy. Having said that, the Cup of Joe team usually refers to me by my initials Katie, which sounds exactly like ‘Katy’. So, wherever I go, there I am!
Favorite after work activity: I joke that I’m going to finish it in retirement because my favorite things are either outdoor adventures like bird-watching and mountain biking, or simple solitary hobbies, like knitting and working in my vegetable garden.
celebrity crush: Cillian Murphy, especially when he’s doing a press junket. An interviewer once asked his thoughts about the dejected Cillian Murphy. MEMEand he said He didn’t know what a meme was.
The book that changed my life: Annie Dillard’s A Pilgrim on Tinker Creek. It’s a stunning example of how an ordinary place like a neighborhood creek comes to life when you approach it with curiosity and attention. Every time I pick it up I notice something different.
That’s our team! We’re all thrilled to be here with you. xoxo
PS 10 lessons I’ve learned in my career, and the best career advice I’ve ever received.
