Diaspora Cafe’s mission is to provide space for people to practice their sovereignty and develop deeper relationships with the communities, cultures, lands and waters around us. We support everyone’s right to reclaim their indigenous cultures, share them with others, and practice peace between relatives. By sharing traditional medicine and foods, we aim to shed light on the significance of plant knowledge, relating to resources as relatives, and making land sacred by viewing and valuing it as such. Ultimately, Diaspora aims to help to elevate the community and the land we live on to become a true home of shared wealth, love, and community.

Our team is dedicated to providing a welcoming experience. Our three Cofounders Kelsey Bunting, Hector Ayala and Ian McCluskey met in Seattle and shared a vision of providing these important plant medicines to our region. Kelsey is a member of the Puyallup Tribe and the Hawaiian Kingdom. She has worked at Kanaka Kava farm on Hamakua Coast of Hawai’i for over three years. Our Manager Hector Ayala was raised in the chicano culture of California with roots in Michoacan, Mexico and the deserts of Arizona, US. Hector immersed himself in growing, preparing and serving Kava at Kanaka for the last two years. He has gained a passionate responsibility to advance food sovereignty and share the traditional medicines of ancient cultures, including the cacao drink of his own culture, and the kava drink of Polynesia. Ian was raised in Seattle and has relevant experience in urban farming, live event production and growing a business, most recently as product lead at Group14 Technologies.