Young CEO dedicated to upcycling
Park Mi-hyeon, 32, is founder and CEO of TOUCH4GOOD, a social enterprise based in Seoul.
Her company recycles banners into bags, empty coke bottles into blankets, socks into a writer chair, print papers into Post-its, empty cosmetic bottles into jump ropes and hula hoops and others. These are a creative reuse of things, also known as “upcycling.”
Her 10-men team’s jobs are finding partners that would hand over their recyclable goods and factories that would process them into new products.
It is far from a high-paying and glamorous job that many others in her age would want, but she is so proud of what she’s doing.
“This isn’t just about making money. You contribute to public good and this is a great feeling to have,” Park said.
The name of her company, TOUCH4GOOD, means “We work to touch people’s hearts through goods with social values.”
Her company is for profit, which mainly comes from partners which hand over recy- clable goods and good they sell online — www.touch4good.com.
Her job made her popular. She is invited to talk about her company to students and adults.
She said it wasn’t so easy when she started in 2008.
“Social enterprise was so new then. Nobody knew what I was doing. I felt lonely. Now, it’s so much better now,” she said. “Also I believe this job makes you learn and grow all the time. This is really a good job.”
Most of the goods are for sale, but some are made for specific groups only. For example, “with Amore Pacific employees, we make beads for jump ropes and hula hoops.”
Studying psychology and political science major at a university, Park was inspired to start her company by her previous work.
“I worked for a civic group working for children’s human rights,” Park said. “That’s where I learned to cherish social values. And while I was working there, my job was to make banners and souvenirs. I’ve seen many banners discarded and thought to myself ‘I hope someone recycles these.’”
She was looking for places to do upcycling them but couldn’t find them. “Well, why not doing it myself?”
She said she’s open for partnership. “Please contact us if you want partnership. But, it’s not that we are taking your trash,” she said.