After being laid off from a long-term job, owner and founder Tiffany took a life-changing trip to Southeast Asia, where she was first inspired to create DrinkFolks. Tiffany’s goal was to not only to bring the health drinks she grew up with to market in the United States, but to sustainably invest in female farmers and producers in Southeast Asia, bringing them into the global supply chain.
“Learning from these women, I discovered just how much I wanted to give back,” Tiffany shared about her visits to Southeast Asian farmlands. As the daughter of refugees from the Vietnam War, Tiffany has a keen awareness of how this type of investment can make a huge impact on an individual’s life. “For my parents, a $100 investment is what got them out of the refugee camp and to the states, which gave me so many more opportunities than they had. I want to be able to continue that cycle of investment and help the women I met build generational wealth for themselves and their families.”
After spending a year developing her recipe, Tiffany was ready to take her idea to the next level, but was unsure of where to begin. That is when she discovered Hot Bread Kitchen Incubates and decided to apply for the SEED program.
The structure of the Seed program gave Tiffany the ability to take concrete steps towards launching her business. Along with the tactical aspects of the Seed program, one of the most useful resources, was being connected to an industry professional as her mentor. Reflecting on this relationship, Tiffany shared:
“In every industry, mentorship is so critical to growth… I’m so lucky that even after the program finished, my HBK mentor still wants to meet with me to work on my business. She has been critical to my growth, giving me advice, putting me in the right places, meeting the right people… and she really gave me the confidence to continue pushing forward. ”
The community cultivated by Hot Bread Kitchen was also transformative for Tiffany. As part of a cohort of early-stage entrepreneurs, she exchanged ideas, found support, and grew her business alongside peers. She also participated in Hot Bread Kitchen’s first SEED Tasting Event, where entrepreneurs shared their products, introduced their businesses, and connected with the broader community.
Now having completed the SEED program, DrinkFolks products are now live and available for purchase! Order today on their website or follow them on Instagram for updates and new product launches.
