4 months after giving birth, I started a business.

My daughter strapped to my back. A farmers market in Tokyo. No investors. No business plan. Just $1,500 in my pocket and one question I couldn't stop asking:

"Would I feed this to my baby?"

It was 2011. Japan had just been hit by a massive earthquake, and the country was swallowed by anxiety over food safety. I was still breastfeeding, and I noticed something that changed my life forever—

Every time I ate something processed or chemical-laden, my daughter's skin would flare up. Her mood would shift. Her body was speaking a truth more honest than mine could ever express.

"We are what we eat." Food builds people. Not just our bodies—but our minds, our moods, and our futures.

I didn't just start a company that day. I started an obsession. A mission to build a future worth living in—not just for my daughter, but for yours.

Fifteen years later, that obsession has grown into a movement. We are in 3,000+ stores in Japan, we sparked a national coconut oil revolution, and now, we are bringing that same integrity to the United States.

The baby I once carried is now nearly 15 years old. But from those freezing mornings at the market to the global stage today, one thing remains the same: I refuse to stop asking the hard questions.

What is the question that drives your work right now?

Stay Connected:

• Follow Midori's journey in NYC on Instagram: @brownsugar1st

• Learn more about our founder's history: Wikipedia