Katrina Lee, 24
The CEO and co-founder of Savour!, a tech startup that was founded in 2019, she aims to reduce food wastage via a business-to-business online marketplace that lists expiring, blemished and surplus food at corporate or charity discounts.
“Irealised that there’s a huge mismatch between the demand and supply of food after working in the F&B industry, where perfectly good food is thrown away in bulk. Food waste is a growing issue in Singapore, and the amount of food waste generated has risen by around 20 per cent over the last decade.
This made me determined to develop a tech solution that could solve this issue. I chose to do this via an app and website, instead of starting a food rescue group, because the latter is heavily reliant on volunteers, and manpower isn’t always available. Plus, technology not only allows real live-time updates of inventory, but also saves merchants and customers time and money when listing and looking for items.
When I first started, I did not have the funds, a team or a developed platform – it was just me. I e-mailed 100 merchants and only got one reply. It was definitely discouraging, but I did not give up; I knocked on doors and partnered with the first 10 merchants through my passion and sincerity. I then went on to take part in hackathons and entrepreneurship programmes to network with like-minded individuals, and it was through these events that I met my co-founder and secured sufficient funding to develop my product. There are now 15 people on the team, with plans for Savour! to venture into the regional market within the next three years.
My advice for anyone looking for a career in sustainability is to talk to people – find out what their interests and challenges are in this area. Also, participate in sustainability-related events to meet with industry experts and keep yourself in the loop on current trends. Passion is not enough, as you need to make sure what you have in mind is financially sustainable and scalable in the long term, but that said, it is what will keep you motivated when the going gets tough.”