About

About Me

Hello, I’m Marisa Smith and native to Wichita, Kansas. I started working in tea retail in 2010 which became my passion in 2012. I founded Golden Monarch Tea LLC in January 2019 to educate consumers about tea and help bring tea culture to the Midwest.

World Tea Expo 2019

I’ve attended and taken classes at World Tea Expo since 2013 and began leading Taiwanese Oolong tastings there in 2019. I am certified as a Tea Specialist, Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier, and Tea and Health Expert by World Tea Academy as well as a certified Taiwanese Oolong Sommelier by the Taiwan Oolong Study Tour (TOST).

TOST 2017

I’ve attended the Taiwan Studies Oolong Tour 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024. I work as the manager of the tea shop for The Spice Merchant & Company and do tea talks locally at Wichita Botanica and the Advanced Learning Center while doing my own teachings part time.