Meet the Team

Nicolas Valdez

Founder · Sourcing and Sales

Nicolas first got into coffee in college, when instant coffee was simply a means to an end. That changed after traveling through Europe and Australia, where he experienced specialty coffee for the first time. He returned home with a completely different perspective on what coffee could be.

An engineer by trade, Nicolas built his career in New York City while developing a deep passion for specialty coffee on the side, exploring roasters across the city and beyond, and becoming fascinated by the ways origin, terroir, and processing methods shape what ends up in the cup.

With family roots in Bolivia, Nicolas became increasingly aware of the country's untapped potential as a coffee producer. Bolivia offers exceptional growing conditions, yet many smallholder farmers face significant barriers to market access, from its landlocked geography and political instability to the logistical challenges of exporting coffee from remote highland farms.

Driven to help close that gap, Nicolas founded Cóndor Estates to connect Bolivian producers with roasters who recognize and value the quality of their work.