Comcast RISE business grant winner serves a latte kindness during tough times

By Nina Huang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Bellden Cafe owner Claire Sumadiwirya (Photo provided by Claire Sumadiwirya)

It was a moment of kindness from a stranger that motivated Claire Sumadiwirya, mother of three, to open a purpose-driven cafe.

Sumadiwirya opened Bellden Cafe four years ago with a community-focused mission in mind. The cafe’s mission is simple: to build community through food, drink, and kindness.

Originally from Shanghai, Sumadiwirya moved to Bellevue when she was 12. She graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in sociology and finance, and also received her MBA from Seattle University.

When Sumadiwirya and her family were living in Shanghai, her eldest son got sick and they had to stay at a hospital.

Hospitals in Asia and Europe don’t always have cafes like they do in the United States, so she found herself lonely, sleep-deprived, and hungry, but there was a generous janitor at the hospital

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