Tommiepreneurs For Social Change

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia's once-thriving tourism industry came to a grinding halt, leaving people grappling with the harsh reality of food scarcity. For Hao Taing '22, this devastating situation sparked a profound empathy for people in his home country who struggled to find enough to eat.

The pandemic hit cyclo drivers hard, leaving them struggling to make ends meet. These pedal-powered rickshaw drivers rely on tourism, which drastically declined due to travel restrictions. As a result, their incomes dropped, and many faced increased hardships as the primary breadwinners for their families.

Taing came up with the idea of mobile food banks to help struggling communities. His "Cyclo Pantry" initiative through Local4Local repurposes unused cyclos into mobile food stalls filled with nonperishable items and essentials. These colorful pantries are stationed across Phnom Penh, providing food assistance to underprivileged individuals. Each "Box of Kindness" is hand-painted by local artists.

His business which initially began as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic has now grown into a global organization that seeks to uplift communities and address social challenges in Cambodia.

Aligning on the social good

The University of St. Thomas was the right fit for this Tommiepreneur who understands well the social impact of entrepreneurship. As an undergraduate student majoring in Operations and Supply Chain Management, Taing regularly participated in entrepreneurship competitions organized by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship.

“English isn’t my first language, and the competitions really pushed me outside of my comfort zone,” he said about pitching his business idea as an international student. Local4Local went on to win multiple competitions, earning nearly $6,000 at the national e-Fest competition and taking the top prize for best presenter at the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge.

“The Schulze School’s focus on entrepreneurship for the common good aligns perfectly with our mission."

A focus on sustainable impact and breaking world records

With a strong foundation for his business now in place, Taing is looking to scale operations and extend its impact, reaching more vulnerable communities and cyclo drivers in need.

“Local4Local has entered a new stage of operations,” Taing says about their shift in focus from crisis response to sustainable impact. “I’m always looking for ways to scale the impact positively to a larger group of people beyond Cambodia.”

This Tommiepreneur has a set of ambitious goals on the horizon. One is to break the world record for the "World's Largest Cycle." Together with a team of engineers and architects, they're currently working on constructing a four-story high cyclo, standing 42 feet tall and stretching 65 feet long. The target launch date is late December, and it needs to move at least 328 feet to meet the world record requirement.

Another important goal on Taing's agenda is to establish Local4Local stations in Cambodia. These small, decentralized food centers will combat food insecurity by creating an efficient distribution network. Through partnerships with local food vendors and farmers, he hopes to offer affordable, quality meals to informal workers and people with less income. Additionally, Local4Local is evolving into a collaborative platform, supporting other organizations in Cambodia through community events like blood drives.

In 2021, Local4Local raised nearly $70,000, supporting over 60,000 meals and providing emergency packages to 823 families in the city and the provinces. The organization was also recently approved as an official 501(c)(3) non-profit in Minnesota.

“When people think of us, we hope they see acts of collaboration and creativity," said Taing about creating impact with his social venture. "We want Local4Local to be a platform of kindness.”