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Chaeyoung Shin
Building new things
Chaeyoung Shin is a notable figure in the field of nutrition and biotechnology, recognized for her role as the Co-founder and CEO of NAMUH, a company aimed at bridging the nutritional gap between infant formula and breast milk. Her educational background includes a degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.23
Professional Background
- NAMUH: Chaeyoung co-founded NAMUH in March 2018 and led the company until its operations ceased in May 2023. The company's mission was to develop innovative solutions to enhance infant nutrition.14
- Previous Experience: Before her tenure at NAMUH, she served as the Co-founder and CTO of Sugarlogix from December 2016 to February 2018, where she focused on developing sustainable solutions for food production.15
Contributions and Impact
Chaeyoung has been actively involved in discussions around infant nutrition, particularly in how her work at NAMUH sought to improve alternatives to traditional infant formulas. Her insights have been featured in various podcasts and interviews, highlighting her commitment to addressing nutritional challenges faced by infants globally.26
Despite the eventual closure of NAMUH, Chaeyoung has expressed valuable lessons learned from this experience, indicating her resilience and dedication to her mission in the field of nutrition.4
Highlights
NAMUH ceased operations in May 2023. I've been trying to muster up the courage to write this post over the past few months. Today, I'm finally ready to share my reflections for closure, both for myself and my community, and to share the valuable lessons I've learned.
What was NAMUH? NAMUH focused on developing yeast fermentation technologies to produce human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). HMOs are crucial, fiber-equivalent macronutrients that are currently lacking in most formulas. Integrating them in sufficient amounts could significantly close the nutritional disparity between human milk and formula.
What happened? Unfortunately, we couldn't secure additional funding and were forced to wind down our operations. The economic downturn had a profound impact on us.
What could have given us a better chance? This question still plagues my thoughts at night, plunging me into a deep hole of self-blame. There are so many factors that could have influenced our chances—from recruiting a male CEO/spokesperson to spearhead fundraising (as female-led teams receive only about 2% of VC funding), to that one conference I failed to attend. The "what ifs" can be endless, and I find it easier and more helpful to reframe it into a more constructive question: What did I learn?
What did I learn? Oh, how I've learned! These past six years have felt like decades because of the immense knowledge and experience I've gained. Here are a few notable lessons for me:
- Take real breaks and vacations: Growing up in Korea, where I studied from 8 am to 2 am (not a typo, it was brutal) in high school, I believed I could do without many breaks from work. However, running a company is not the same as rote learning, and I needed proper breaks to maintain creativity, vision, and focus.
- Prioritize: Running a startup challenged my ability to juggle numerous tasks. I couldn't accomplish everything I set out to do in a week, and sometimes I had to let people down. Prioritizing tasks and reprioritizing became essential for me.
- It's just a company: It's easy to identify yourself entirely with the company, referring to it as your "baby." However, when the "baby" struggles, it feels like your entire life is in peril. I've learned to be passionate about my future projects while maintaining a clear distinction between the company and my personal identity.
What's next for me? I'm on the lookout for the next challenging and uncomfortable endeavor. If you have any recommendations, please feel free to share! My interests lie in the intersection of nutrition and holistic health/well-being while continuing to explore the coolest technologies. I'm also deeply moved by the stories of my fellow founders who keep building, failing, getting back up, and building again. I'll share more in the coming months. Onwards and upwards!
We've sent out 1000 collection kits today! 🙌 We are so grateful for the support we've received from mothers throughout the country. We know that our donors have to go through the extra hassle of signing up, freezing the milk, and shipping the box back while also knowing that it's the future moms & babies who will benefit from their work. So it is truly amazing to see the solidarity and generosity of so many people wanting to innovate infant nutrition.
And to the investors who had trouble believing mothers actually wanted formula to be closer to breast milk: uhm here is proof for you!
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Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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