Built by operators, for operators
Vending Circle was founded because the community that would have helped most operators from the start didn't exist. Five working operators built it — and keep building it — because they're still running their own routes while teaching in it.
top operator revenue
active operators running it today
engaged members
The problem.
Manuel Mojica built a $750k/year vending operation in San Antonio after leaving the military. Throughout that growth, the same issue kept surfacing: There was no real infrastructure for sharing knowledge between operators.
- Forums scattered and outdated
- Courses built by people who'd stopped operating years earlier
- Practical knowledge that could save months of trial and error didn't exist
What he built.
Vending Circle launched in early 2026 with five active operators. Not former operators who now teach, but current operators who also teach.
- Weekly live sessions where members ask questions and get direct answers
- Four courses covering what took years to learn, structured for systematic application
- 60+ active operators notionwide sharing what's working right now
Today.
The community is growing, the courses are being updated, and the partner network keeps expanding. The goal remains: build the community that would have made a meaningful difference for someone starting out in vending, and keep it genuinely useful as members grow beyond the basics.
active operators
Combined annual revenue across the mentor team
Brand partners with exclusive member pricing
Taught by Active operators.
The courses are developed and taught by operators currently running vending businesses, not by consultants or professional educators. They teach what they've learned building and operating their own routes.
Manuel Mojica
Manuel is a military veteran who built a $750k per year vending operation in San Antonio before founding Vending Circle. He now runs the weekly Masterclass with the other mentors and teaches The Launchpad course, helping new operators set up the right foundation through practical guidance on contracts, machines, routes, and scaling.
Jami Stufflebeam
Grew from zero to 80+ machines and $800k in annual revenue in two years. Focuses on location strategy, route scaling, and operational systems.
Sean Coffey
Owner of Twelve28 Vend and authorized HaHa AI Coolers distributor. Specializes in AI-enabled smart machines, cashless payment systems, and supply chain distribution.
Alondra Gaddis
Vending coach, operator, and distributor running a $500k business. Specializes in school vending contracts and works directly with Premium members on proposal strategy.
Scott Ziegler
Owner of Frontline Smart Vending and a Detroit firefighter. Practical approach to equipment selection, machine maintenance, and running a vending route alongside a demanding career.
The relationships Members access.
Vending Circle's partner relationships were built through the mentors' own businesses over years of operating. Members access manufacturer pricing, distributor contacts, and product deals through these relationships. This is pricing that isn't commonly available to individual operators purchasing independently.
On the community.
What members say about working with operators who are actively in the business rather than teaching from a distance.
Landed my first location 🥰
I’m thrilled to share that I’ve landed my first location 🙌 It’s a small HVAC company with only eight employees, which isn’t ideal, but it has a lot of foot traffic due to shipment deliveries and customers. We’ll see how this goes. For now, I’m incredibly excited about this opportunity, and I want to give a big shoutout to Alondra Gaddis for her support throughout this process.
1st location incoming!
Don't want to get ahead of myself here, but I have a tentative "yes" for my first location! I'm meeting with the owner on Tuesday to verify a couple things, but it looks like after that the next question will be, "when can you get your machine installed?"
about the community.
Common questions about how Vending Circle works, who runs it, and what makes it different from other vending education available online.
Both the Standard ($79/month) and Premium ($199/month) plans include a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Clicking either "Try Free" button takes you to the sign-up page. Once you're inside, you have immediate access to all the resources & courses, the community, and the weekly live Masterclass. The next Monday Masterclass session is listed in the community calendar and you can attend live or watch the most recent recording on your first day.
Vending Circle members are operators from across the United States. The community is global with members working in markets ranging from major metro areas to smaller regional markets. This means the location strategy discussions often include practical input from operators in multiple different environments. The mentors are based in Texas, Oklahoma, and Michigan, with experience across a range of market types.
The community serves operators at every stage. The Launchpad course is specifically designed for people starting from scratch, but the other courses (Locating 2.0, Equipment Playbook, School Location Basics) are most relevant to operators who already have some machines running and are working through specific growth challenges. The weekly Masterclass and community are useful across all experience levels because the conversations reflect the full range of what members are working on.
Courses and YouTube content give you information organized around a curriculum. Vending Circle gives you ongoing access to working operators who can address your specific situation as it evolves. The four courses in the Classroom handle the structured learning side. The weekly live Masterclass handles the situational side. Members bring real problems from their real operations and get answers from people who've dealt with the same thing. The community adds a peer layer on top of that, where 60+ operators share what they're working through in real time.
Yes. All five Vending Circle mentors have active vending businesses today. Manuel owns a $750k/year route in San Antonio. Jami Stufflebeam runs 80+ machines generating $800k annually in Oklahoma. Alondra Gaddis operates a $500k distribution and vending business. Sean Coffey runs Twelve28 Vend and distributes HaHa AI Coolers. Scott Ziegler operates Frontline Smart Vending in Detroit alongside his firefighting career. All of the mentors still have their hands in vending operations every day.
Meet the operators.
A 7-day free trial gives you full access to the community, all four courses, and the weekly live Masterclass.
