Co-Founder/Co-Owner / CEO

In 1987 David got very excited by the espresso method. He started a company with his wife at the time, Geneva Sullivan, called Espresso Vivace (literally, espresso excitement). Currently he is responsible for quality control, roasting, and training, and visits each shop daily. His background includes a BA in Cultural Anthropology from UW and a BFA in Flute Performance from Cornish College of the Arts. Previous work experience: four years in the USAF training in electronic calibration and repair, a stint as a metrologist at the Boeing Class A Standards Lab, and Canvas Coordinator for Greenpeace NW. His hobbies include skiing, bicycling, and pool.

Co-Founder/Co-Owner

When Geneva and David started Espresso Vivace in 1988, she was working as a technician full time. It was her salary that saw Vivace through the beginning stages, her strength and wisdom that got them through the “night sweats” of not knowing if they would survive or not, and her tenacity that got Espresso Vivace through the biggest challenge: making the transition from coffee carts to indoor stores in 1992 through to the present.

Assistant General Manager / Bar Manager South Lake Union

Greg started working for Espresso Vivace in 2015 as a barista and in 2025 stepped into the role of Assistant General Manager at Vivace’s South Lake Union café. As a customer, it was at Vivace that he first experienced what espresso could be.  As a barista, he has taken great pleasure in sharing David’s vision of espresso with the people of Seattle. And now, as a manager, he hopes to do his part in leading the members of the Espresso Vivace team in creating some of the best coffee that Seattle has to offer. His background includes a BFA from Arizona State University and a masters in teaching from the University of Washington. Outside of work, Greg is a father, a husband, an oil painter, and a bicyclist.

General Manager / Capitol Hill Bar Manager

Zach started his journey at Espresso Vivace in 2022, but his love for coffee started in a hometown bakery and coffee shop in Eastern Washington.  Throughout the years, he built an appreciation for both espresso and the value small businesses bring to the community.  Zach’s penchant for learning and desire to improve led him to Espresso Vivace where he has had the opportunity to further develop his understanding of coffee as a culinary art.  This eventually blossomed into a leadership role with the mentorship of Teal Allan, Kasey Frix, Darren Johnson, and Trayc Sigler.  Outside of work, Zach enjoys social hobbies that include climbing, cooking, and various video games.  Even though Zach is a fresh face to Capitol Hill, he feels welcomed and right at home within the community of Espresso Vivace

Production Facility Manager

Darren joined Espresso Vivace in 1999 as a barista. In 2005 he started working as a roaster in the production facility and worked his way up to become the manager. In 2015 he helped move Vivace’s roasting facility from a small garage space into the larger production facility they now currently occupy. Darren holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from Cornish College of the arts and in his spare time works as a freelance writer and director.