YSEALI PFP: Roasters Coffee House’s Professional Hosting Experience

Global Ties Iowa works to facilitate international exchanges beyond the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Since spring 2024, we have welcomed participants from the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program (YSEALI PFP). This exchange program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is designed to promote mutual understanding, enhance Fellows’ leadership and professional skills, and build lasting and sustainable partnerships between emerging leaders in Southeast Asia and the United States.

The program is a professional development program where finalists are placed with a U.S. organization relevant to their professional experiences and interests. Fellowship placements are individually tailored and take place over the course of four business weeks.

For the fall 2025 program from September 29 to October 24, with a thematic focus on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment, Global Ties Iowa helped place four fellows in eastern Iowa. One Fellow, Phu Maria Theresa “Thesa” Llorente, from the Philippines, was placed with Amanda Steines, the owner of Roasters Coffee House.

Thesa currently owns a two-branch café in the province of Cavite in the Philippines called Kapihan ni Gunyong. Their advocacy centers on supporting local farmers through a farm-to-cup approach, sourcing beans from different regions of the Philippines.

Roasters Coffee House is a locally owned coffee shop and roaster committed to socially responsible economic practices, namely sourcing fair trade organic coffee beans. Roasters also follows a farm-to-cup model: they source beans globally, roast them in-house, and serve them to customers in a welcoming neighborhood space. Roasters actively supports social impact initiatives through partnerships with organizations such as ‘Water to Thrive’, which builds wells to provide clean water in Ethiopia.

Before the fellowship started, Amanda was slightly intimidated as this was her first time hosting a YSEALI fellow. “I was nervous to work alongside Thesa because she was a very impressive individual. But she was so sweet and approachable. We ended up being really good friends. I'm going to hold on to that friendship forever.”

During this fellowship, Thesa was given the opportunity to gain practical insights into small business growth strategies, the coffee supply chain (farm-to-cup), and innovative, sustainable sourcing practices that empower farming communities and promote ethical trade. She also assisted with developing educational content, supporting community engagement initiatives, and creating strategic marketing plans.

Some activities Amanda and Thesa did together include meeting Roasters Coffee House’ beans importers, touring their warehouse, and visiting a large-scale roasting factory. Through Thesa’s questions and curiosity, Amanda was able to further develop her own professional relationships and learn about potential equipment upgrades and larger scale operations.

“We're both learning from each other because it's such a different perspective that she has, but we're in the same field,” said Amanda. “I never would have explored [those learning experiences] if she hadn't been here asking questions about that part of the process.”

In addition to Thesa’s placement at Roasters Coffee House, Global Ties Iowa concurrently hosted the Diplomacy Begins Here Regional Summit from October 1-4, 2025, where leaders in business, government, and nonprofits, were brought together to learn about space and innovation in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Amanda said, “I think those events are really important. We developed a community with the other business owners, the families that were hosting, and the fellows themselves. It broadened the experience.”

Amanda felt that YSEALI PFP was impactful in opening her up to staying receptive and curious. “In the day-to-day of the business, you have a lot of challenges that come up and it's constant problem solving, but they're not always the big picture things that keep you excited,” she said. Amanda highly recommends YSEALI PFP to other people in the community. “I felt so inspired. It really breathed new life into my business and into my approach to my business.”

Following their placement in the U.S., YSEALI PFP Fellows are required to write a competitively judged reciprocal exchange proposal. Reciprocal exchanges are designed to use the skills the YSEALI PFP Fellow obtained in the U.S. and address a challenge or project they are tackling in their home community. Amanda will be traveling to the Philippines in 2026 to implement her and Thesa’s approved project. They will be implementing an educational course for Filipino farmers and are currently developing the course materials and presentation formatting.  

Amanda looks forward to working with Thesa in the Philippines and possible future collaborations to come, such as by initiating relationships with Filipino farmers or working together to build a roasting facility that is accessible for farmers.

Are you interested in learning more about YSEALI or our upcoming Europe/Eurasia Professional Fellowship Program? Read our previous articles about alumni, professional placements, or articles about YTILI (Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative), a program similar to YSEALI PFP. Email Amy Alice Chastain or call our office if you are interested in hosting a fellow from the upcoming YSEALI cohort in March-April 2026.