BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Open For Business  >  Why A Student Quit Uni To Turn Ugly Fruits Into (TUG) Gelato

Why A Student Quit Uni To Turn Ugly Fruits Into (TUG) Gelato

Hailey Yong, CEO and Founder, The Unusual Greens

02-Sep-24 10:00

Why A Student Quit Uni To Turn Ugly Fruits Into (TUG) Gelato

Could turning ugly fruits into gelato be worth quitting university? For Hailey Yong, it was.

At just 20, Hailey, CEO and Founder of The Unusual Greens, left her studies behind to pursue TUG Gelato full-time, an enterprise that transforms imperfect and surplus fruits into delicious gelato. What began as a student competition idea in the HULT Prize has grown from a home kitchen project to a 123 sqft central kitchen, and now to two outlets, including a fully-equipped central kitchen.

Among other things, Hailey discusses the early challenges of convincing others—starting with her own family—of her vision, the R&D process that began in her own kitchen, and how she eventually transitioned her project from a side hustle to a full-time business.

She also delves into the importance of staying true to her mission while continuously innovating to stand out in a crowded market. Finally, Hailey talks about her future plans, including potential expansion and the possibility of external funding, all while staying committed to the cause of food sustainability.

Produced by: Roshan Kanesan, Kishan Sivaswamy

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  Women in Businessmarketsmanagingenvironmentfoodentrepreneurs

Tags:  TUG gelatofood waste preventionsustainability





Play / Pause

Listen now : Best of Enterprise: (REPEAT) Founder and CEO of Evenesis, Ts. Yusno Yunos...

Today’s Shows



11:00 AM

Best of Enterprise

(REPEAT) Founder and CEO of Evenesis, Ts. Yusno Yunos joins us to share his 15-year journey of bootstrapping (with the help of grants) to profitability before finally taking strategic investment from VentureTECH.

12:00 PM

Just For Kicks

(REPEAT) Kam and his pundits review the week that was in EPL and look ahead to Matchweek 15 in this busy festive period.

1:00 PM

A Bit of Culture

(REPEAT) Kam, Zan Azlee and Hafiz Noor Shams sit down together to talk about EPF retirement fund, James Brooke and the collapsing prestige of the west.

2:00 PM

Ringgit & Sense

(REPEAT) Chua Kim Soon, CEO of the General Insurance Association of Malaysia discusses insurance for homes against disaster.

2:30 PM

The Property Show

(REPEAT) Kashif Ansari, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Juwai IQI, discusses Malaysia property landscape in 2025, and the road to 2026.

3:00 PM

Best of The Bigger Picture

(REPEAT) After a patient has been hurt due to unsafe care in hospital, do they have the right to complain or to seek compensation? We explore with a patient safety expert and a lawyer.

4:00 PM

Best of Evening Edition

(REPEAT) Darren Teoh joins us to talk about Dewakan’s place in Kuala Lumpur’s evolving culinary landscape.

5:00 PM

BBC World Service

What it's like to wake up with a brand new voice? This episode of Discovery investigates foreign accent syndrome.