Founder's Story
Behind The Mission
Alex That
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Founder and visionary behind the original multi million dollar international brand Caffeine. Divisions included a legendary nightclub, fashion forward clothing company, record label, world music tour, entertainment company and now Caffeine Academy.
Since 1991, Caffeine has been about bringing people together and providing opportunities for meaningful relationships.
I took what I knew and loved and I created Caffeine Academy, a place where we teach students to DJ, produce music, create and edit videos and much more.
At Caffeine Academy we focus on more than learning how to DJ, produce music and make videos. This is part of the reason why our program is so innovative! We work on building self-esteem and gaining confidence through hands on learning. Coping with obstacles, garnishing more knowledge and stepping out of their comfort zone help each student create their very own road map to their version of success and feeling significant.
My entire life, I have always believed in perseverance, staying optimistic and creating my own path. I root for the underdog, believe in people, encourage them to rewrite history and think out of the box.
When you dream big, believe it can be done, take action and keep moving forward the possibilities are endless. It’s time to tell your story. Let us help you show the world that you were born to stand out!
Our Team!
Mimi Dwyer-That
She is often found behind the scenes, but if some really good music is on she’ll definitely be seen busting some 80’s dance moves and singing along. She has a background in education and is great at problem solving, tying up loose ends, giving just the right words of encouragement and being a team mom to everyone that makes up our Caffeine Academy family.
Mia That
A second generation member of Caffeine Academy’s founding family. She carries with her a generational understanding of business, creativity, consistency and love. Mia is driven, patient, practical and kind. These traits help Mia inspire students of all ages to stay optimistic and be the best that they can be. Mia is usually dancing and singing along with our students. She has a great ear for music. If she’s dancing, our students know their project is headed in the right direction!
Mia graduated with her BS in Psychology. Mia has a passion for learning about neuroscience and understanding how the human brain works. When she has some free time she enjoys hiking, traveling, and snowboarding.
Mia has proved to be someone that has what it takes. She has taken over an important role and is rising to every occasion.
Jessica Lake
Liam That
A second generation member of Caffeine Academy’s founding family. He has lived his whole life with the belief system that magic can be created where there is industry, consistency, creativity and love. He is caring and genuine. His diligence keeps him focused and his adventurous spirit and technical skills are what allow him to push the limits of creativity.
Liam has a BS in Mechanical Engineering.
In his free time Liam enjoys traveling and adventuring, 3D design and printing and spending time with friends and family.
Rob
Rob first started coming to Caffeine Academy as support staff for one of our students. We recognized immediately how considerate and sincere he was. Rob has a BA in Communications with a minor in Sociology. When it comes time for instruction he brings an air of quiet confidence and guides his students to create an extremely gratifying project. Rob has a passion for graphic design and photography. He shares his passion with his students and encourages them to add interesting elements to enhance their video projects. Rob is a wonderful asset to our team. He has always proven to be trustworthy, loyal and dependable. Now you can see why we promoted him to Operations Manager!
Brendan
He started taking classes at Caffeine Academy when he was 15 years old. We’ve watched him grow into a funny, kind, music loving adult. He has the ability to observe his students and tune into what is the best way for them to learn. When you hear Brendan say, “Wooo” you know you’re on the right track! He is a working DJ at several of today’s most popular venues. When Brendan isn’t working he loves biking and kayaking, enjoys playing or watching team sports and producing original house music.
Suzi
When we interviewed and subsequently hired Suzi we thought “Wow! How lucky are we?!!” Suzi is always positive, kind and friendly. When she joined our Caffeine Academy team she brought with her an accomplished portfolio of professional experience. There is experience and there is experienced. Suzi possesses both. It shows in all the projects she works on. Her gentle and nurturing ways resonate with our students on a daily basis.
Suzi has her BS in Communications/Video Production with a minor in Journalism.
In her free time she loves gardening, dancing, walking, jogging, painting and listening to audio books.
Dan
Dan is just our resident Grammy Nominee. No big deal. He is a composer, producer, writer and world class keyboardist who has toured all over the world. Dan teaches a very exclusive production class here at Caffeine Academy. He is very passionate when it comes to his musical gifts and eager to bestow his wealth of knowledge and experience with our students. Because of all his experience, Dan has a unique way of challenging students to raise their personal standards when it comes to producing original music. When Dan isn’t touring he enjoys playing video games and helping others.
Hammer
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Alex, affectionately known to us as Hammer, is a great addition to our Caffeine Academy team. We recognized how caring he is when we first met him as support staff for one of our students. He is not only caring but he is also multi talented in an understated way. His many talents are becoming more apparent the more we get to know him. Hammer has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to song lyrics, singing them and writing them! Alex has his Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications from Northeastern University. He is an asset to the Caffeine Academy team! When Hammer isn’t working he enjoys watching the Islanders. The longer you know Hammer the longer you can’t help but become aware of his stellar work ethic. He is self motivated. The more he learns and experiences the richer his creativity is. He just keeps on getting better! Hammer has been promoted to Program Director!
Jessica Lake
Sean
We first met Sean, when he was 5 years old, on the soccer field where he was a member of the team that Alex coached. His eagerness to participate and learn was impressive at a young age and are character traits that he still possesses today. He is kind, funny and creative. He takes the time to get to know his students on a personal level and thinks out of the box when it’s comes to teaching. Sean loves paleontology, video games and going upstate with his friends on weekends.
Matt
We were lucky enough to receive an intern application from Matt when he was in his senior year of college. Matt interned with us and he was so well rounded that we offered him employment. When you first meet Matt, you will see a friendly face. But there is so much more to him. He is one of those people that you meet and you just think, “wow, he is so nice!” Matt graduated from Five Towns College with his Bachelor’s Degree in Audio Production and Business Management.
Matt is very creative and helps his students create projects that are sonically pleasing. He is well versed in Logic and Serato and uses them to enhance his students' experiences in music production. Like Liam Neeson in the movie Taken, Matt has a very particular set of skills. Here’s a hint…He’s in a band and very into metal music. When Matt isn’t working he enjoys golf, table tennis and collecting model trains.
