Chi Sum Ngai

Co-Owner, Coffee Project New York

New York City

Born and raised in Malaysia, Chi Sum Ngai (widely known as Sum) started drinking coffee at the age of five as a cultural activity and a way for her to socialize with friends and family. After studying IT and psychology in college, Sum moved to New York and worked in IT for six years. She eventually grew tired of the more traditional office job, and decided to turn her passion and love for coffee into a career. After getting more exposure to American coffee culture by traveling to places like Portland, Oregon, Sum began experimenting with various home brewing methods, and started to think about opening her own coffee shop. In 2015, she and her partner Kaleena Teoh opened the first Coffee Project New York location in the East Village, which became an instant hit. Sum continued to learn on the job and build her coffee expertise. She became a certified Q Grader, a designation for evaluating and grading coffees that is analogous to the prestigious "Master Sommelier" in the wine world, and launched Coffee Project New York’s roasting program. Now, the brand has four cafes around New York City, as well as the only Speciality Coffee Association-certified Premier Training Campus in the state, which is located in Long Island City. Outside of Coffee Project New York, Sum is an avid analog photographer and enjoys traveling and dining out.