One More Scoop with Ami Sugyiama and Shusaku Hayakawa

Ami Sugiyama and Shusaku Hayakawa are the Co-founders of Secai Marche, a farm-to-table startup based in Malaysia. Since it was founded in 2018, Secai Marche has been bridging the gap between F&B retailers, hotels, restaurants, and cafes by connecting them directly with farmers in Japan and Malaysia. 

Before Secai Marche, Ami was at Deloitte and was previously in the tea importing and exporting business and had owned a successful cafe Shu, on the other hand, was a senior manager at Deloitte, supporting companies venturing into the global agriculture sector. He has also held positions as a managing director for agriculture companies in both Japan and Hong Kong.

Topics:

00:00:00 - Typical farming supply chain

00:07:55 - How Shu and Ami met

00:09:26 - Why they quit Deloitte to start Secai Marche

00:16:47 - Introduction to Farm Direct

00:21:31 - Finding the Right Co-Founder

00:25:07 - Building the Infrastructure

00:28:17 - Impact on Farmers and Restaurants

00:32:53 - Spending Time with Farmers and Restaurants

00:34:54 - Malaysian Farming Industry

00:41:01 - Expansion to Singapore

00:44:17 - Starting a Business in a New Country

00:47:41 - Personal Lives of Founders

00:52:17 - Childcare in Japan vs. Malaysia and the Philippines

00:53:45 - Remote Work and Wider Options for Women 

00:54:21 - Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

00:56:05 - Personal Goals Outside of Work

00:57:16 - Making Something from Start to Finish

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Visit Amanda Cua’s social media pages:

Amanda (Linkedin): https://ph.linkedin.com/in/amanda-cua

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Visit Ami Sugiyama’s social media pages:

Ami (Linkedin): https://my.linkedin.com/in/ami-sugiyama-96984715b

Secai Marche (Website): https://secai-marche.co.jp/

Visit Shusaku Hayakawa’s social media pages:

Shusaku (Linkedin): https://jp.linkedin.com/in/shusaku-hayakawa-bb61325/en

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