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The Editor's Pour I often hear baristas ponder over whether competition is "worth it" - the late nights, the cost, the relentless practice. But every time I watch USBC 2026 Finalist Seidy Selivanow of Kafiex Roasters step into the arena, she demonstrates what happens when you treat the stage not as an echo chamber for elite technical precision, but as a platform for your own story. As someone who has built essential bilingual education for the Coffee Fest community, Seidy proves that stepping up is about far more than chasing a high score. Here, she shares what drives her onto the stage and how putting your story into your craft changes everything. - Lani Kingston, Education & Conference Director, Coffee Fest |
The Editor's Pour
I often hear baristas ponder over whether competition is "worth it" - the late nights, the cost, the relentless practice. But every time I watch USBC 2026 Finalist Seidy Selivanow of Kafiex Roasters step into the arena, she demonstrates what happens when you treat the stage not as an echo chamber for elite technical precision, but as a platform for your own story. As someone who has built essential bilingual education for the Coffee Fest community, Seidy proves that stepping up is about far more than chasing a high score. Here, she shares what drives her onto the stage and how putting your story into your craft changes everything.
- Lani Kingston, Education & Conference Director, Coffee Fest
I’m Seidy Selivanow, co-founder of Kafiex Roasters in Vancouver, Washington. My husband, Matthew, and I built Kafiex around our love of coffee, hospitality, education, and the belief that coffee can create meaningful connections between people.
For me, barista competition has always been an extension of that.
When I first started competing, it was about more than coffee. I wanted to represent where I came from. I grew up in Mexico, and stepping onto the competition stage gave me an opportunity to bring my country, my culture, and my story into a space where I did not always see that representation.
I wanted others to be able to see themselves there too, and to show that the coffee world can be beautiful, fulfilling, and full of possibilities. From the outside, a barista competition is only a short performance. But behind those few minutes are months of work: selecting the right coffee, learning everything possible about it, dialing in recipes, testing ingredients, rewriting scripts, practicing movements, and refining every detail again and again.
Somewhere along the way, the routine becomes much more personal.
For me, competition has become a form of storytelling. Throughout my years competing, I have explored ideas like impermanence, resilience, and most recently, the philosophy of amor fati: learning to embrace everything life gives us, even the parts we would not have chosen for ourselves.
I believe it takes courage to imagine a different future for yourself. It takes courage to pursue something without knowing how it will turn out, and to keep moving forward when things do not go according to plan.
Competition has taught me that you cannot control every outcome. You can only control the amount of preparation, care, and intention you bring with you. Then, at some point, you must let go.
The stories I share on stage are never meant to only be about me. My hope is that someone listening might recognize something in their own life. Maybe they are chasing a dream, rebuilding after a difficult moment, or simply need a little encouragement to keep going.
We all need that sometimes.
Coffee has given me an incredible platform for telling these stories, but it has also surrounded me with extraordinary people. Through Kafiex, competition, and the broader coffee community, I have met people who have taught me, challenged me, supported me, and inspired me to continue becoming a better version of myself.
Of course, I want to make beautiful coffee and continue pushing myself technically. But the trophy has never been the entire point.
For me, competition is about representation, growth, connection, and storytelling. It is about honoring the people behind the coffee we serve and, hopefully, reminding someone watching that their dreams are worth pursuing too.
And perhaps that is what I love most about competition: the opportunity to turn a cup of coffee into something that connects, encourages, and inspires.
Insider Bio
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Seidy Selivanow is the co-founder of Kafiex Roasters in Vancouver, Washington (Roast Magazine’s 2026 Roaster of the Year). A U.S. Barista Championship finalist and seasoned sensory educator, she leads bilingual coffee curriculum and coffee skills workshops across the Coffee Fest circuit, championing cultural representation and accessible technical training.
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