Sang Lê
Vancouver Food Runners: Sang, tell us a bit about yourself before starting Peko Produce, a company that helps people save over 40% on groceries with surplus and "imperfect" produce boxes.
Sang Lê: For sure! I was born and raised in Vietnam and moved to Vancouver to attend the University of British Columbia. Ever since a young age, I've been a curious and scrappy individual. I started my first "business" at the age of 11, selling pre-teen newspapers that I wrote to my schoolmates.
I went on to start a few lifestyle businesses during high school, before starting a career in product management and marketing at various companies, ranging from Cisco, ecobee, to Jupiter (YC S19). I also consulted for a few CPG and AI companies before realizing that I missed building my own thing, which led me to start Peko Produce and join Next 36 – Canada's top start-up incubator – in 2021.
I'm also passionate about experiential learning, gender equity, and empowering accessibility, so I spend a lot of my free time pursuing causes that fit these goals. One of my proudest accomplishments is working with LinkedIn Learning to bring free e-learning access to all 60,000 students at the University of British Columbia to democratize access to industry knowledge/continuous education for students from all faculties.
VFR: Tell us more about Peko Produce! What was the inspiration behind your company? How did it all start?
SL: My co-founder, Arielle Lok, and I saw the problems up close and personal. We have volunteered at a soup kitchen, lobbied for accessible food programs, and built an expiry date management app after seeing our personal food waste at home.
In the summer of 2021, we spent a month talking to local farmers and produce wholesalers, and we realized that we can reduce more food waste upstream by distributing surplus and/or "imperfect" food products to the general public. We’re not the first to ever do it, but there was no one doing it well in Canada, so here we are!
VFR: What are some of the key learnings you have taken away from starting your own business? And what has surprised you the most about this process?
SL: My biggest learning is if you never ask, the answer is always “no”!
What surprised me the most is how helpful people are :) We definitely wouldn’t be here without advice and mentorship from those who have walked the walk.
VFR: Peko Produce was just acquired by Fresh Prep. Huge congrats! What does the next chapter look like for Peko?
SL: Thank you! Our next step is to scale Peko across Canada along with Fresh Prep, with the first stop being Alberta, while consistently maintaining high product quality.
Vancouver has been home for you for the last few years. What are some of your favourite things to do in the city as well as your favourite places to grab a bite to eat?
I love exploring the food scene, lounging on one of our beaches, playing Spikeball in the summer, and going on occasional hikes! My all-time favourite hike is Tunnel Bluffs near Lions Bay.
VFR: If folks want to try Peko Produce, how does the ordering and subscription system work?
SL: Anyone who lives in Metro Vancouver (and soon in Calgary, AB) can order online on https://pekoproduce.com
As long as you make the pre-order deadline noted on our website, which is a few days earlier than the delivery date, you should receive your shipment. Currently, we deliver every Thursday and Saturday in Metro Vancouver. Subscribers save 10% and can skip/cancel anytime on our website.
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