Solving Social Issues Through Entrepreneurship Vol.10

(Tailim) I studied marketing at a university in the Philippines and decided early on that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. My first business was selling Cambodian organic coconut oil. But because I lacked capital, I wasn’t able to invest in marketing, and at that time coconut oil was not widely used in Cambodia. As a result, the business didn’t take off. I then shifted toward food products and started selling snacks. Among them, cashew nuts showed the most potential.

Cambodia is the world’s second-largest producer of cashews after Côte d’Ivoire, yet 95% of its raw cashews are exported to Vietnam without being processed locally. 
I felt it was a major issue that, despite having the raw materials, we were not creating value within our own country. 

We experimented endlessly with flavors and packaging—chocolate, chili, garlic chili, and more. But maintaining sales over time was difficult, and ultimately we returned to a simple original flavor, which became our core product. 

(Chanthy) My career was originally in a very different sector—health and education. For more than ten years, I worked at an NGO supporting children living with HIV and other severe illnesses. It was meaningful work, but emotionally very difficult, especially as many children passed away each year. 

During COVID-19, when schools were closed, I used my hospitality background to open a café. It was then, through my cousin, that I met Tailim. When we realized that my family owned a cashew farm, we immediately found common ground and began discussing the potential of a cashew-based business. 

(Tailim) After restarting the business in 2024, we applied to multiple accelerator programs to gain both knowledge and funding. We discovered Cnai through a Facebook post. Cnai turned out to be the most rigorous and impactful program we had ever joined. Until then, our focus had only been on “how to make and sell products.” 
But through the program, we learned essential elements such as corporate governance, marketing strategy, financial management, team building, and OKRs. 

(Chanthy) There were nights when we worked late into the evening on assignments. Cnai wasn’t just a program to obtain funding—it was a place where we grew as entrepreneurs. One mentor told us, “Your product is good, but your prices are too low. Believe in your value and raise the price.” 
We followed that advice, raised our prices, and rather than losing customers, our sales increased. 

We also learned a lot about becoming better managers. I used to expect performance equal to or greater than the salary paid and sometimes let frustration show when staff didn’t meet expectations. But that isn’t good management, and Cnai helped us grow beyond that. 

(Tailim)Our company is legally registered as Khema Nutrinut Co., Ltd., but we operate under the brand Tofee Nuts. We used to be called GLPH, but customers had trouble remembering the name and it didn’t clearly communicate our market positioning—even though the product quality was well-received. 

With Cnai’s support, we undertook a full rebranding to create a name that is memorable and appealing both to Khmer consumers and international markets. 
‘Tofee’ comes from Chanthy’s nickname. We intentionally use just one ‘f’ to reflect local linguistic preferences, and the final nine-letter brand name felt well-balanced and easy to remember.

(Chanthy) Yes. Through the program and the Japanese instructor’s sessions, we deepened our understanding of gender equality and developed new internal policies including; Clear restroom-use guidelines ; A workplace environment where staff feel safe and respected ; A rest space with snacks and coffee for women experiencing premenstrual discomfort.

We also employ people with diverse backgrounds such as returnees affected by border conflict with Thailand, youth who could not complete high school and a mother with a newborn child.  We want our workplace to be open, supportive, and a place where people can learn skills and grow. 

(Chanthy) Absolutely. Many times. I’ve been excluded from business discussions because I am a woman. Some new customers initially refused to talk to me, assuming I was “just a staff member.” But with experience, my confidence grew, and now many key positions at our company—QA, accounting, HR, and taste development—are held by women.