The Entrepreneur Series – Florence Leong, Co-Founder & Director of Kosmode Health Singapore

“Plan for success, prepare for failure. Don’t start if you can’t afford to fail.” said Florence Leong.

 

Florence Leong is currently co-founder of Kosmode Health Singapore Pte Ltd–a NUS Food Science Technology spin-off incorporated to expand access to health from nature, by resolving challenges in the agri-food and biomedical industry with bio-active up-cycled from food processing waste-streams.

KOSMODEHEALTH up values food processing spent materials as functional food for human nutrition and as bioscaffold for 3D cell culture. The sturdy foundation upon which KosmodeHealth’s brand promise of confidence and dependability is founded, trust and integrity are non-negotiable qualities.

 

Can you tell us why or what made you decide to enter your field?

Belief and passion. Having been in the pharma industry for more than a decade, I am acutely aware of the challenge of drugs therapy – side effects and drug adherence being 2 of the main issues. I am certain that one way to address these 2 issues is through regular consumption of functional food, eating it regularly & consistently to achieve the health benefits associated with some functional foods.

 

What inspires you to be in this business?

Plants are nature’s abundant source of nutrients for mankind, but quality plant extracts are expensive; a fact that frustrates me. I was impressed by Prof Huang Dejian’s technology to extract nutrients from plants sustainably and economically when I met him as a mentor. It is the opportunity to translate his technology to make quality plant extracts affordable that inspire me to join hands with him to incorporate KosmodeHealth. This is the reason behind KosmodeHealth’s mission to expand access to health from nature.

 

What do you do to make sure that your business is thriving?

For any business to thrive, people must be its core focus. People (i.e. consumers)must be willing to pay for a solution that the business offer because the value it delivers is compelling.  People (the team) must be willing to overcome challenges to deliver the compelling solution because they are convince of its mission.

 

How do you scale up your business considering the challenges?

No business can scale up by themselves unless they have unlimited resources. Since incorporation, KosmodeHealth has been scaling our business through partnership; with stakeholders who believe in our mission enough to support us with the resources we lack. Moving forward as we move to build up pilot scale capability, we continue to seek partnerships with stakeholders such as investors, corporate partners, up-stream and down-stream business partners.

 

Despite the time your profession requires, how do you manage to balance work, life, and your health?

I must enjoy my work enough for it to be a meaningful part of my life. I am blessed to be at a stage of life where family demands are less intense, and health is good enough for me to keep pressing on. Once work takes its toll on my health and family, then it would have to go.

 

What do you love about your business?

That KosmodeHealth can resolve functional food sustainability issue without causing any planetary damage. The thought of the many hungry stomachs that can be filled with nutritious food, just by up-valuing food processing waste currently thrown away, kept me going.

 

What do you enjoy doing as past time?

I walk weekly, play badminton twice a week and spend my other free time feeding my spiritual being by studying the bible and having Christian fellowship.

 

What advice can you give to new entrepreneurs?

Plan for success, prepare for failure. Don’t start if you can’t afford to fail.

 

What have you learned from the latest HASH Innovation Asia Summit 2022?

Nothing can ever replace human to human interaction. The energy, the vibes, the interactions during the Summit are what make the event such a success.

Check out KosmodeHealth here.

 

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