Founder Spotlight: Kai Lim (Reprise Health)
Meet Kai Lim
Desert Bloom crafts luxury cowgirl boots from a premium, plant-based bio-leather made from corn, wheat, and recycled material. We deliver the rich feel and strength of traditional leather without the environmental cost.
Location:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
When did you launch the business?
2022
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Startup Stage?
Pre-Seed
What led you to where you are today?
Growing up in Singapore, I watched my grandma brew bitter herbal teas, guided by a deep-rooted tradition to nurture happy, healthy families. Our families and ancestors have taken these superfoods for centuries. Yet, as an adult, I found this practice intimidating and inaccessible. That’s why Reprise Health is on a mission to make traditional Eastern Herbal remedies accessible to the modern world - so that generations to come can benefit from this wisdom.
What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
I wish I had known how helpful it is to find the right mentors and learn from founders who had already been through my journey. In earlier stages, we're often faced with many decisions across strategy, sales, operations, etc. I've found that talking to mentors & founders before me helped me to avoid obvious mistakes and focus on the most critical tasks.
What is the most difficult decision you've had to make regarding your business so far?
Holding ground on our ingredient supply chain despite industry pressures to conform. We take a lot of pride in our authentic ingredient story - partnering with a 5th-generation family who has been making herbal medicine for over 100 years. This is the exact same supply chain used and trusted by the world's best herb shops and local acupuncturists in the US. And while our partner sources only from small farmers who conform to regenerative farming practices that preserve biodiversity, it's been proven hard for us to get officially certified. Also, there are more stringent restrictions when we manufacture in Taiwan, as they do not allow certain herbs (classified as 'medicinal') to be put into gummies (classified as 'food'). So, we have to work around these limitations closely with partners - but it also makes for a stronger relationship!
What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
I'm happy to help provide advice to founders before me (just like how I've benefited from founders ahead of me), and also make useful connections through my network.
How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
I would like to amplify the Reprise story so we can continue to work towards our mission - to make traditional Eastern herbs accessible to all!
Fun fact about you:
I’m Singaporean and was sponsored by BCG to pursue my MBA in the US. I had every intention to return after graduating, but ended up making a risky decision to leave BCG and pursue my entrepreneurial dream. And I'm so grateful for how supportive the community here has been.
Anything else you would like to share?
In a world where we’re bombarded with health fads and fleeting trends, Reprise Health is going back to our roots - back to all-natural, time-tested remedies that have stood the test of time.
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