25 years of Constructors: Esther Singer - the Cultivator

In honor of Constructor University's 25th anniversary, we're featuring alumni from our graduating classes so far to showcase the diversity, values and impact that Constructor graduates have carried into the world. You can check out all the alumni interviews from the series on our 25th Anniversary web page.

This week, from the class of 2008, we are featuring Esther Singer, the scientist-turned-entrepreneur who channels her shared passion for the natural world and the richness of human culture into Segara Coffee. 

QUICK FACTS:

• Graduation Year: 2008
• Major: Geosciences and Astrophysics
• College: College 3
• Favorite on-campus snack:  Indian desserts during Diwali
• My go-to study stress reliever: Rollerblading across the dike
• My Jacobs experience in 3 words: Rich, challenging, loving

Cultivation. It's an apt word to sum up the breadth and impact of Esther Singer's inspiring career path. As an earth scientist who first studied Geosciences at what was then Jacobs University, Esther spent over a decade researching soil, plant-microbe interactions and ecosystems. Today, as the founder and owner of Segara Coffee, she is cultivating human connections between Indonesia and the West, drawing on both her scientific background and her own German-Indonesian upbringing.

By working directly with multi-generational farms in Indonesia to source coffees rarely available in Western markets, Esther remains at "ground level:" walking the land, studying the soil and building direct relationships with the farmers who cultivate it.

In our interview, Esther shares her insights on carving a path with passion, and appreciating the science, soil and culture behind a good cup of Indonesian coffee.

As part of our 25th anniversary, we’re exploring the theme of decision-making. What are some key decisions that helped shape the course of your own life?  

Choosing to follow my intuition and enroll in Geosciences and Astrophysics was one of the most defining decisions of my time at Jacobs University. I was drawn both to the interdisciplinary nature of the university and to the unusual breadth of the program itself, which brought together geosciences, oceanography, space physics, and astrophysics. That combination reflected both my natural curiosity and what I now recognize as a deep-rooted connection to environmental science.

Being immersed in such a diverse, international community further shaped me—encouraging me to seek out different perspectives and cultures, something I continue to prioritize today. That environment not only reinforced my identity as a multidisciplinary thinker and my tendency to make connections across fields, but ultimately set me on a path that brought me to the United States, where I’ve built a career and life that I could not have envisioned at the time. Looking back, it’s a decision I’m deeply proud of and wouldn’t change.

Which aspects of your experience at the university would you say were the most formative for your life since?

One of the most impactful aspects of my experience at Jacobs was the opportunity to engage in hands-on research and be closely mentored in the scientific process. This early exposure gave me a clear and realistic understanding of what a career in science entails, which made my decision to move to the United States and pursue a PhD feel both natural and well-informed. Having access to high-quality, practical research experiences laid a strong foundation for my future and ultimately guided me through the next 13 years of my academic career.

Speaking of academic career, you have successfully bridged from an accomplished geoscientist to now an entrepreneur and business owner with Segara Coffee. How did those two paths converge and what inspired you to take the leap into business?

My passion for environmental science has been a consistent thread throughout my career and continues to shape the decisions I make today. After many years in academia, I moved into biotech, where I eventually led product and market development. That gave me experience translating complex science into products, understanding markets, and building strategies around what customers actually need.

Founding Segara Coffee is, in many ways, a return to my roots—both scientifically and personally. Segara focuses exclusively on Indonesian specialty Arabica, working with distinct cultivars and lots that are largely unknown to American consumers. Through them, we're challenging expectations of what Indonesian coffee can taste like. It’s a synthesis of both worlds—where science informs quality and sourcing, and business enables scale, storytelling, and meaningful connection.

On the Segara website, you write that your life has been “spent at the intersection of science, soil and culture.” What does that mean to you and what perspective have you gained as a result?

I see these three elements—science, soil, and culture—as deeply interconnected, and they are all reflected in the way I live and work. My academic training grounded me in the scientific method, which I continue to apply across everything I do, while my years studying soil and publishing research have shaped how I understand ecosystems at a fundamental level. Today, working with coffee as an agricultural product brings that full circle: I’ve spent time on the farms, observing the soil and plants first-hand, considering how those environments ultimately shape the coffee we experience in the cup.

At the same time, my German-Indonesian background allows me to operate between cultures—introducing distinctive Indonesian coffees to Western consumers. The result is a clear direction in my work: I build systems that connect origin to consumer, and I move products, knowledge, and value across cultures with intention.

What advice would you give to other scientists and science students who are considering pursuing a more entrepreneurial path?

Seek out strong mentors early—they can help you avoid common mistakes and accelerate your learning in ways you can’t do alone. At the same time, don’t wait until everything is perfectly planned; start building, testing and learning through action. A solid theoretical foundation matters, but real progress comes from doing. Stay curious enough to enter areas where you're not yet the expert, and be willing to learn as you go.

Equally important, invest in relationships—entrepreneurship is not a solo endeavor, and the people you surround yourself with will shape your trajectory. Finally, be authentic in how you show up. It’s not just about what you’re building, but why—and when people genuinely believe in you and your mission, that becomes one of your strongest advantages.

And don’t forget to start your day with a great cup of coffee! Thank you so much for your time, Esther.