Lee Ayu Chuepa was the first person in his Akha village to graduate from university. His parents gave him 2,000 kilograms of beans to start, and farmers invested organic beans rather than cash. "Akha" is his hill tribe and "Ama" means mother.
Training at Stumptown in Portland made the roast lighter than standard Thai coffee, and he also trained at Four Barrel in San Francisco. The coffee is sourced mainly from Mae Chan Tai at 1,500 metres, where farmers grow Catuai and Typica, and each bag carries a pencil sketch of the farmer. The beans are roasted at the Living Factory in Mae Rim. It is one of three Chiang Mai branches, with two more in Tokyo.