Welcome back to a new instalment of our recurring segment Where Are They Now? Stories of TLG Alumni. This week we are featuring WA local, youth entrepreneur and TLG alumna, Isabelle Ng. 

Isabelle (Issy), is an impressive young individual. She shared with us some of the experiences as well as business advice that shaped her journey and led her to launch her own business while still at university. With an extraordinary work ethic, Issy’s approach to life and business is embodied by her remark: “if you have an idea, just do it and go for it!”

At only 22, Issy has forged a path for herself with her business venture, KINOI, a reusable bubble tea cup company which she founded in 2019. The idea for the company came about when she was confronted by the extensive plastic waste created by single-use bubble tea containers. Issy immediately decided she was going to take matters into her own hands and be the one to come up with a solution. She said that her vision for KINOI is to “inspire a world where bubble tea is stylish and sustainable” and to create a world that is “now and forever #getbbtplasticfree.”

While at university, Issy studied a Bachelor of Commerce at UWA, majoring in Marketing and Psychology. She also studied abroad for six months at the Western University in Canada, as well as participating as an active member in university social clubs and not-for-profits, including Teach Learn Grow . 

Issy said she first heard of TLG in her second year of uni and promptly applied for her first Rural Program. After visiting Norseman in 2017, Issy went on to complete a total of five TLG Programs, including visiting Kambalda West twice, and participating in an eMentor program. She commented that she wished she had taken the opportunity to do more eMentor programs during her time at university. When asked about her reason for such a long-term commitment to TLG, Issy enthused over the deep connections she made with the students, and mentioned the beloved tradition that became celebrating her birthdays over each Winter Rural Program. She also commented that her ability to connect with students was so fulfilling she vowed to come back to see the students’ progress next year. When she returned for a second time to Kambalda West District High, she said “I will never forget the happy smiles from my students at Kambalda - they couldn’t believe I kept my pinky promise!”

Issy proceeded to join the TLG Executive as Events Coordinator and then as Marketing Manager in 2018. She claimed that her experience in this role, as well as internships and other marketing volunteer work, allowed her to gain some important skills and experience to help her later on when starting her own company. Issy said that three big things she learnt while on TLG Executive were:

1. How to lead a team, as leadership was an exciting new challenge outside her comfort zone;

2. The ability to run an integrated marketing campaign, learning various technical skills and reaching new levels of platform engagement; and

3. To never be afraid to try new things, from launching new initiatives like fundraising quiz nights and annual Netball Tournaments, to taking big business risks. 

Issy began working on the idea of KINOI in February of 2019 while still Marketing Manager for TLG, and proceeded to launch her company in September of the same year. When asked what inspired her to start her business, Issy responded that she was seriously concerned with the amount of bubble tea packaging she saw while staying with relatives in Hong Kong. 

“The need to create a reusable bubble tea cup in Australia ignited when I was visiting my family in Hong Kong in February of 2019, and saw endless queues for bubble tea” she said. “The worst bit was I saw mountains of bubble tea plastic in the bins and thought how crazy the amount of waste there was.”

“I truly had never seen more single-use plastic in my life - as I lived in Perth most of my life and population density is significantly lower than Hong Kong. I ranted to my Mum, saying ‘I wish someone could start a reusable bubble tea cup business’ and then I realised, why can’t I be the one to start it?” 

This revelation started Issy’s journey with KINOI, racing back to her grandparents’ house and starting to design what would become the KINOI brand and product. Travelling around Perth, Issy asked local bubble tea shop owners if they would adapt to using reusable bubble tea cups if offered, and was surprised by their willingness. As a young university student, Issy shared how she didn’t have the money to start the business by herself, only working part-time at a local doughnut shop . Thinking strategically she  came up with a solution. “I said to everyone, if you really want this cup you need to pre-order… and to my absolute shock, I had enough pre-orders to make my first order of 500 cups,” she said. “I made a website in July to accept these pre-orders and then officially launched selling in September. The first batch sold out instantly in less than a month. That is when I knew, there was a demand for reusable bubble tea cups in Australia.”

Since 2019 KINOI has continued to grow. In the first year alone Issy stated selling over 3000 cups, proving her passion and hard work paid off. Issy is also proud of  the attention KINOI has gotten from the public. She mentioned KINOI being featured on the blog and review site the Urban List Perth three times! As well as being written up on SBS Cantonese and Chinese SBS. Her success with  Perth-based pop-up stalls and increasing social media followings has inspired Issy to continue to expand her business to in-person selling, hopefully spreading across Australia in coming years. 

When asked if she had any take-away advice for young business professionals or aspiring entrepreneurs, Issy emphaised that, “…if you have an idea, stop thinking about ‘risks’ and just go for it.”  She said that while her personality “naturally makes me go for what I want and take risks,” she also mentioned she was, “actually was surprised when many of my friends and family told me they were amazed  how quickly I turned KINOI from an idea to a business.”

Her final parting words for young business owners were, “…if you have no money, then kickstart your idea (Aussies LOVE supporting local businesses), and if you have a problem you are passionate about, then turn this passion into your career! Lastly, always ask your questions with a smile- everyone loves to lend a helping hand!

Thank you to Issy for sharing her story and wisdom with us. If you would like to learn more about KINOI, you can check out their official website here. 

To stay up to date with TLG’s Where Are They Now? stories and other announcements, subscribe to our mailing list and follow us on social media.