the moonbeam co. hosted yet another sustainability edition of Breakfast and Brew, because sustainability in this day and age is imperative for our environment. Curated for businesses within the realm of sustainability, join us in unravelling the essence of our most far-reaching Breakfast and Brew yet and explore the connections formed!
What is Breakfast and Brew?
Breakfast and Brew is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the moonbeam co. to unite members of the startup community over a shared sustainable breakfast. By curating engaging activities and facilitating meaningful interactions, we seek to cultivate lasting connections and foster a thriving sustainable business ecosystem.
Why is it important that sustainable startups collaborate?
Through collaboration, sustainable startups can harness a collective strength to address pressing sustainability issues. By sharing technological advancements and best practices, they can expedite their development cycles and amplify their impact by pooling their resources to penetrate larger markets. This synergistic approach fosters a holistic approach to tackling systemic challenges, such as climate change and social equity.
Who?
In case you’re wondering who attended breakfast on Saturday, here’s the roll call:
- Pawsible Foods, Armaan Dhanda & Samyak Baid
- Pawfoo, Chelsia Goh
- Soil Social, Jayden Ong
- Ferticlay, Jodie Monteiro
- Fogo Fungi, Jonathan Chen
- kūpaa, Julia Chia Ciaciek
- Stick ‘Em, Chong Ing Kai
- Jalan Journey, Ng Kao Jing
- Guub, Marcus Yeo
- ChangeX, Peyton Choo
- Husks Green, Sebastian Yu
- Curiocity Compass, Sherman
- Regen Supply, Shihan Fang
- Jeremy Ang
- Jieyu Chan
And here’s a guide on who’s who…
What is Pawsible Foods?
Pawsible Foods is an environmentally-friendly dog nutrition food company. According to their story, the founders had trouble sourcing vegetarian dog food alternatives that provide the right nutrition for their furry friends. To fill that void, they created their dog food company that prioritises the health of both dogs and the environment.
Their unique vegetarian substitute, Myco-Ingredients, replicates the nutritional profile and sensory appeal of traditional meat-based pet food. This caters to the pets’ dietary needs and mitigates significant ethical and environmental issues associated with conventional pet food production. They have actually used upcycled mushroom products such as mushroom stems and spent mushroom substrate and through their proprietary fermentation process, created their Myco-Ingredients. Their upcycling efforts removes the mushroom byproducts from landfills, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and landfill runoff.
Who is Armaan Dhanda?
Armaan Dhanda is the co-founder of Pawsible Foods. He is a science-driven individual with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS). With a scholarship, he is also pursuing a second major in Innovation and Design. According to him, he believes in advancing the future of food by making it more sustainable, efficient and transparent through his science background with a touch of entrepreneurial expertise.
Who is Samyak Baid?
Samyak Baid is the other co-founder of Pawsible Foods. He is an economics student with a passion for sustainable food systems. Also armed with an NUS scholarship, he is committed to shaping the future of food by making it more sustainable, efficient, and economical.
What is Pawfoo?
Pawfoo specialises in crafting delectable pet treats utilising surplus ingredients rescued from food manufacturers. The snack components are meticulously chosen from sustainable sources, playing a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions. Free from additives and preservatives, these health-conscious and eco-friendly pet treats prioritise the well-being of pets. Continuously evolving with new recipes, these upcycled treats are also endorsed by veterinarians.
Who is Chelsia Goh?
Chelsia Goh is the chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Pawfoo. Hailing from NUS, she also has extensive understanding in several organisations. Her diverse skills in operations, facilitating and marketing showcases a rich repertoire of expertise. She aspires to channel these interests into even more entrepreneurial endeavours in the future.
What is Soil Social?
Soil Social is a company that turns waste into high quality compost for gardening and agriculture. They convert organic waste from landfills into biodiverse plant food that is rich in beneficial microbes and even fungi. Their production of high-quality compost that uses local waste is based on Dr. Elaine’s™ Soil Food Web Approach, which ensures an optimal environment for beneficial microorganisms to thrive.
Their mission is to use their compost to sequester more carbon in the ground and shift away from the extortive system that causes climate change, all while making gardening easier for everyone. They provide various amounts of Magic Compost for your needs, and even a home composting kit that you can use in your own time. It doesn’t take up much space in your home, and is free of odour and pests with built-in ventilation filters!
Who is Jayden Ong?
Jayden Ong is the co-founder and chief commercial officer (CCO) of Soil Social. She has extensive experience in the food & beverage (F&B) industry as development and creative ambassadors. She advocates for a transition away from society’s extractive system towards a more sustainable relationship with our planet, emphasising the importance of giving back more to earth than we take.
What is Ferticlay?
Ferticlay is a company dedicated to producing alternative fertilising clay using rescued food and mid-stream waste materials from the manufacturing industry, including coffee grounds, eggshells, and paper waste. These nutrient-rich components are transformed into a clay suitable for use in the green material and construction sector, serving as an eco-friendly substitute for existing toxic materials.
Notably, Ferticlay contributes to the earth’s well-being at the end of its life cycle. The company also conducts innovative workshops exploring the potential of Ferticlay and other forms of secondary waste, fostering an inclusive experience. Moreover, Ferticlay actively employs and collaborates with marginalised individuals, such as those with disabilities and single mothers, providing meaningful employment opportunities that contribute to a noble cause.
Who is Jodie Monteiro?
Jodie Monteiro is the CEO and co-founder of Ferticlay. She is a creative entrepreneur with a passion for sustainability and design. With a diverse background in retail merchandising and being an instructor for various creative design studios, she has gathered the skills and knowledge required that seem to organically culminate in her company, Ferticlay. She has also worked with the likes of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as a community engagement assistant.
What is Fogo Fungi?
Fogo Fungi is a local urban mushroom farm growing sustainable & gourmet mushrooms. They are on a mission to valorise food waste by producing high-quality mushrooms.
Fogo Fungi uses their proprietary advanced technology to transform agricultural waste from timber and food industries into nutrient-rich feed that enables the cultivation of a diverse range of fresh mushrooms. According to them, the spent mushroom byproducts are also composted and reintroduced back into agriculture to close the loop on the sustainable food system.
As part of their conviction to a environmentally-friendly food cycle, their core beliefs include education, inclusivity, diversity, sustainability, transparency, and quality. They have a wide selection of fresh gourmet mushrooms available to distributors that demonstrate various health benefits of the various species.
Who is Jonathan Chen?
Jonathan Chen is the co-founder and chief operations officer (COO) of Fogo Fungi. Strikingly, he was an experienced military officer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force for seven years and has now co-founded his own sustainable urban mushroom farm business!
What is kūpaa?
kūpaa is a startup that replaces single-use plastic products to reusable takeaway food containers. They sell food-safe containers to tabao (takeaway) your meals to where you need to be! They aim to promote the shift from the conventional use of disposables in our everyday routines. Through their efforts, they aspire to cultivate a generation that transcends disposables for the sake of the environment in the long run.
Their products include various reusable container sizes and a carrier to eliminate even the need for disposable plastic bags. Through their site, you can view how much single-use plastic containers and bags they have recycled and stopped from simply going to the landfill.
Who is Julia Chia Ciaciek?
Julia Chia Ciaciek is the co-founder of kūpaa. Carrying an impressive array of experiences, she has excelled in diverse roles including data analytics, project management, business development, and as the founder of her own sustainable startup.
What is Stick ‘Em?
Stick ‘Em is a company in the science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) education space that trains teachers to run programmes and work with partners to provide free STEAM classes for underprivileged kids. They have low-cost hardware kits that enable anyone to build robots with chopsticks. Through their online ecosystem, they can provide schools to run cohort-wide programmes without trainers at 1/10th the price of traditional STEAM programmes.
Their STEAM kit allows anyone to build anything from simple mechanisms to complex robots. The concept revolves around a single kit enabling users to transform their ideas into tangible creations, constructing a myriad of imaginative projects using recycled materials such as disposable chopsticks and plastic bottles. From this, users can then take control of their creations using their phone, tablet or laptop.
Who is Chong Ing Kai?
Chong Ing Kai is the founder and CEO of Stick ‘Em. He is an Engineering with Business diploma student at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) where he believes in achieving the best of both worlds in two distinctly diverse areas of study. During his time in the School of Science and Technology (SST). He has won various engineering competitions and even built a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with machine learning capabilities to help scientists with coral surveillance. This was also published in a scientific journal he co-authored.
What is Jalan Journey?
Jalan Journey specialises in gamified storytelling education for students about marginalised groups in society. They recognise that numerous youths may have insufficient awareness of societal issues and hope to engage students with stories and perspectives of the marginalised to expand their worldview.
The modus operandi involves collaborative consultations with schools to understand lesson requirements. Their facilitators are then trained in alignment with the subject matter, tailored to the unique needs of each educational institution. Students can access this immersive world through their Personal Learning Devices (PLD) that streamlines the learning process but also eliminates logistical costs, administrative burdens related to transportation, and the need for risk assessments, thereby enriching the overall educational experience.
Who is Ng Kao Jing?
Ng Kao Jing is the head of operations of Jalan Journey. With a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from NUS, he possesses a deep passion for the environment, sustainability, and social impacts. He is also commendable as an ambassador of Stridy, where he actively engages the public in addressing issues related to waste management in Singapore. He emphasises the importance of individual contributions to enhancing circularity and maintaining a litter-free environment in the country.
What is guub?
guub is an end-to-end merchandising platform that connects individuals or organisations with artists to create exclusive merchandise collections. The team has debuted their first merchandise collection featuring contributions from 17 local creators.
They have since garnered support from both local and international artists, as well as the general public. Every time a customer purchases exclusive merchandise, the organisation ensures contributions to both the charitable cause and the creators.
Who is Marcus Yeo?
Marcus Yeo is the co-founder of guub. He is also from NUS, where he studied information systems, E-commerce and digital innovation. Notably, he has interned at 99.co as a frontend developer.
What is ChangeX?
ChangeX seeks to ideate, develop and implement tech-based solutions for a greener future. Founded by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students passionate about sustainability, they have won several local awards like the DBS Foundation-NEA Hungry for Change Challenge and CNA Green Challenge. They have also worked alongside the National Environment Agency (NEA) to combat food waste in Singapore.
Who is Peyton Choo?
Peyton Choo is the co-founder and CEO of ChangeX. She is a junior at the Asian School of the Environment in NTU, pursuing a major in Environmental Earth Systems Science. She has a profound interest in contemporary sustainability issues and her passion extends to all things nature-related. She is consistently on the lookout for opportunities to contribute to sustainable solutions.
What is Husks Green?
Husks Green was established to provide high-quality tableware and kitchenware crafted from natural fibres. Their target is to advocate for the use of eco-friendly and environmentally conscious products that have easy degradation upon disposal. They affirm that the quality of their products adheres to the rigorous food safety standards set by the United States FDA, with certifications and compliance with regulatory testing standards worldwide.
The transformation of an agricultural waste, natural fibres, into a highly sought-after item for contemporary living constitutes an innovation worth sharing and a compelling story. Presently, The company aspires for their vision of sustainability to resonate globally, combating excessive plastic use and contributing to the reduction of the worldwide carbon footprint.
Who is Sebastian Yu?
Sebastian Yu is the director of business development at Husks Green. He is a dynamic young leader that thrives on diverse leadership roles and continuous learning. His love for networking translates into building relationships that foster innovation and success. Committed to both personal excellence and collective growth, he is excited about new challenges and invites others to connect and explore possibilities together.
What is Curiocity Compass?
Curiocity Carbon is a sustainability sandbox platform that aims to make everyone 1% more sustainable through gamified online and offline experiences. Curiocity Carbon exists at the nexus of environmental education, research and climate advocacy.
Who is Sherman?
Sherman is curious about the intersection of education, design and sustainability. He is currently working on a platform that curates social discovery experiences for people to learn about climate change. He is currently working for an edtech startup that creates engaging interactive learning experiences for kids to develop their 21st century literacy skills in an online metaverse.
What is Regen Supply?
Regen Supply is a media brand that uses podcasts and blogs to showcase ideas and individuals that champion climate action. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify here, and read the writer’s blog posts on Medium here. What makes it unique is that the founder blends her media and journalistic expertise with a focus on environmental climate action to produce her content.
Who is Shihan Fang?
Shihan Fang is the founder, podcaster, and writer at Regen Supply. With a diverse background spanning media and business development, she frequently integrates experiences from both industries. Notably, she has experience as a journalist for various media outlets such as CNBC, Mediacorp, and Asia360 which covers a variety of topics which include technology, finance and the environment.
Who is Jeremy Ang?
Jeremy Ang attended this session of Breakfast and Brew. He has a PhD in Solar Water Treatment using Nanotechnology, Environmental Engineering at NTU, and his expertise lies in the circular economy for photovoltaic, sustainable engineering, and water treatment processes. He is also a member of Catalyst 2030, a global movement of people and organisations committed to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) by 2030.
Intrigued?
Come join us at Breakfast and Brew, where we aim to foster meaningful connections among stakeholders in the sustainability business space through an environmentally conscious breakfast experience. Our workshops provide a unique opportunity to connect with fellow entrepreneurs who share your aspirations and environmental consciousness. If you’re eager to network with like-minded startups and their founders, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a message to express your interest and become a part of this enriching experience!