Magazine

Community and Coffee

Michelle Angat – Jul 24 | 5 min read | Features
In the past year, Rao Unnava, Dean of the management school at the University of California, along with his wife, and adjutant assistant professor, Vasu Unnava, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology their findings after conducting a research on the effects of coffee in group meetings. Two different experiments were conducted on 70 undergraduates, divided into groups. The studies found that the groups that were given (caffeinated) coffee had livelier, more productive, and more engaged discussions (about an article on the Occupy movement) as opposed to the groups that only had their coffee after the meeting and those that were given decaf.

Partnering with Frank & Dean, The Young Professionals Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) hosted their first event of the year last March 26, 2019: “The Role of Coffee in a Community” — a young professionals’ coffee mixer. Playing with the idea of coffee having a pivotal role in positive productivity and loaded dialogues, the place was quickly buzzing with connections being made, ideas being exchanged, and stories being shared.

Young professionals from different businesses and backgrounds, diverse in positions and specialties flocked together for an afternoon of conversation, networking, and coffee. The event is in part with the efforts of The Young Professionals Committee– headed by Ignition’s very own Atty. Juan Paolo Villonco– to engage, attract, and develop young professionals through broader networking and knowledge.

Meanwhile, Frank & Dean did what they do best and provided these upstarts not only their best brews, but also a collaborative environment filled with creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

The successful event was also attended by top members of AmCham, including Ebb Hinchliffe, the Executive Director; Program Manager, Committees and Industry Relations, Vicky Co; Membership Manager, Pauline Santos; and Industry Development Specialist, Beatrice Baldonado. Frank & Dean itself was also represented with some of Frank & Dean’s Managing Directors Javier Mabanta, Nathania Villonco, and Miguel Escueta.

Funny how we almost always turn to coffee to awaken our senses and function in the morning. We overlook the fact that coffee, more often than not, plays the middleman between parties. At the end of the mixer, everyone was carrying with them new acquaintances, open possibilities, and fresh ideas.

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