Congo Mapendo

Coffee Project NY was co founded in 2015 by Chi Sum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh in New York City's East Village. Both founders are licensed Q Graders and certified SCA instructors, and Ngai holds additional credentials in Q Processing and multiple SCA training disciplines. Roasting takes place at a Long Island City facility on a San Franciscan SF25 alongside a Stronghold S7 Pro electric halogen roaster reserved for competition coffees. That same facility houses New York's first and only SCA Premier Training Campus, offering certified courses in brewing, roasting, sensory skills, and barista technique. Sourcing emphasizes direct trade relationships and cooperative partnerships, and the company has expanded to seven locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. TimeOut named it Most Loved Coffee Shop in 2016, 2018, and 2021.