After studying law at Thammasat University in Bangkok and the University of California, Berkeley, Perada Supopun started a law career, including at Thailand’s Ministry of Justice. However, her entrepreneurial spirit was ignited by her desire to help her husband manage his weight and health.
Perada and Trai Sasatavadhana, Tasted Better’s Chief Technology Officers and Co-founders, created a versatile plant protein-based, low-glycemic index flour that can replace wheat flour one-to-one. The flour is not only high in protein and fibre but also five times lower in carbohydrates. It has a two-year shelf life and requires no refrigeration.
Caption: Tasted Better flour is being prepared in a mixer and will soon be ready for baking.
“My best memory was the incredible energy during the workshops. Even with more than 100 people, I felt a real sense of community and support. Seeing women from diverse backgrounds learning and encouraging each other was truly inspiring.”
The training “pushed us to think bigger and bolder,” she says. “After the programme, we started to shift from a niche 'healthy market' strategy to targeting the mass market.”
Caption: Perada presents a new product made from the healthy flour that her company developed.
This led to new collaborations and new product lines. Perada has partnered with 18 different manufacturers and distributors in the Republic of Korea to use the flour to make ready-to-eat products, including vegan pasta under the brand LENZEN.
Tasted Better products will be sold in the Republic of Korea later this year, and the company has secured a letter of intent from a conglomerate to distribute in Hong Kong.
Caption: Perada presents a new product made from the healthy flour that her company developed.
“Getting a letter of intent from a potential distributor in Hong Kong was a major milestone for us,” Perada says. “It felt like we were finally being recognized for the hard work we’d put in.”
Caption: Perada presents a new product made from the healthy flour that her company developed.
Perada’s achievements have led to invitations to speak at international forums and to support from Space-F, Thailand’s first global “foodtech” startup incubator and accelerator, at Mahidol University in Bangkok.
UN entities involved in this initiative
UN Women
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women