About DrDazz Coffee
The Journey of DrDazz
Since the age of ten, I thought it would be cool to have a PhD and be called "Doctor." That childhood dream stayed with me through the years until 2014, when I finally embarked on my doctoral journey. After precisely 7,198 coffees and 73,000 words (yes, I counted), my thesis was accepted by Flinders University, and Dr Sellwood was born. But you can call me Dr Dazz: the founder and passionate mind behind DrDazz Coffee.
Coffee has always been more than just a beverage in my life. It's been fuel for thought, companion through challenges, and now, the heart of my business. I must confess to once giving it up for Lent, which somehow stretched into a full year. I've since thoroughly repented, though I still believe in savouring life's pleasures in moderation.
The DrDazz Coffee concept took root during those strange COVID-19 lockdown days, when isolation sparked creativity and reflection. Now, that seed has grown into something real and meaningful.
Our original Seasonal Blend emerged from a collaboration with Soltura Specialty Coffee in late 2020. While supply chain disruptions meant those exact beans became unavailable, it opened the door to new local partnerships. Since 2021, DrDazz Coffee has worked with Adelaide's own Ben Laakmann of b3 Coffee fame, creating distinctive blends using ethically sourced beans from Brazil, Timor Leste and Colombia. Every DrDazz Coffee bean is roasted right here in Adelaide at Settlement, a collaborative roasting space in Somerton Park.
DrDazz Coffee: just what the doctor ordered!
A Cup That Empowers Everyone
Who profits from all this? Everybody.
Ethical supply chains aren't just a marketing slogan. They're the foundation of everything we do. It matters deeply to me that coffee growers receive fair compensation for their work, creating opportunities for their families to grow and thrive.
When you sip your morning brew, someone halfway across the world can provide education for their children because of those beans in your cup. I've witnessed how proper payment transforms communities. By choosing DrDazz Coffee, you're not just buying premium coffee at an affordable price. You're supporting a vision of independence and opportunity that ripples outward, connecting your daily ritual to meaningful change in the world.
My personal journey has been shaped by others who believed in providing opportunities. Growing up at the Regency Park Centre (a school for children with disabilities), I constantly benefited from donated equipment. Wheelchairs, tricycles and computers to name just a few. Throughout my academic career, I received assistance to attend conferences and participate fully in university life. Now, with some financial stability, I've quietly begun paying it forward, helping others access similar opportunities.
While I harbour no illusions about becoming the next Bill Gates, I do nurture big dreams. DrDazz Coffee operates as a genuine business, forming part of my strategy (alongside my academic work) to achieve self-sufficiency and independence from pension support. But its purpose extends beyond my personal goals. The more successful DrDazz Coffee becomes, the closer I get to financial independence, and the more resources I can direct toward creating opportunities for others.
Who's with me?
The Person Behind the Brand
You might spot me at music venues around Adelaide, where our fantastic local scene and international festivals provide ample opportunities to either dance enthusiastically to energetic gypsy bands or quietly appreciate a thoughtful singer-songwriter.
I spent my childhood at Regency Park Centre (now Novita), a school and residence for children with disabilities. Growing up without a family taught me the immeasurable value of community. I built strong connections through my local church and various groups sharing my interests in world music, technology and Christian ministry.
Living with cerebral palsy means navigating physical and communication challenges. In disability terminology, I have complex communication needs (CCN). I use an electric wheelchair for mobility and various techniques to communicate, including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices.
Technology has always fascinated me. I established my own database design business before earning a computer science degree. Though I outgrew my childhood dream of becoming a tech billionaire, I discovered my true passion: helping people with CCN live fulfilling lives. My unique perspective on both user needs and technical solutions led me into telecommunications research, culminating in first-class Honours for my work on telecommunications access for AAC users.
Then came the opportunity to fulfill that childhood doctor dream! My PhD research investigated how people with CCN develop romantic and sexual relationships. And while I'm still single, I do have a thriving coffee business, and Ziva, my loyal dog.
My Coffee Awakening
Back in the ‘90s, my two great loves: music and coffee intersected at the Blackstump Christian Music festival in Sydney. There, I formed a friendship with organiser Andrew Palmer, eventually becoming a regular speaker at Blackstump and later at Beyond Festival.
Andrew introduced me to proper coffee, forever ruining my contentment with instant varieties. I hold him entirely responsible for my expensive home coffee machine! He later became part of Soltura Specialty Coffee, whose beans became my daily ritual and powered me through my PhD.
During one conversation with Andrew, inspiration struck. Why not create my own signature coffee? The rest, as they say, is delicious history.