Future of the Business World Podcast · Wharton Global Youth Program

A Start-up Brand Chases New 'Tea Friends' and Profits for Yunnan Farmers

May 30, 2024·23 min

This episode features high school entrepreneur Victoria Fang Gao, who founded the Pu'er tea brand Di Ling in China's Yunnan province. Host Diana Drake from the Wharton Global Youth Program interviews Victoria ahead of her participation in Wharton's Leadership in the Business World program. Victoria's brand directly sources tea from farmers in less-developed villages like Zhenyuan and Jiangcheng. Her inspiration traces back to her grandfather, the founder of the Yunnan Pu'er Tea Association, and his poem envisioning Pu'er tea reaching every corner of the world. Di Ling features both raw and fermented Pu'er tea, with the raw variety having hints of honey and orchid and the fermented type tasting of wheat and bread. Victoria emphasizes sustainable sourcing, forming long-term trading relationships to lift farmers out of poverty, which she calls the soul of her brand. She learned resilience, passion, and optimism from farmers, recounting a vivid experience picking tea in blazing sun on slippery, muddy slopes where farmers sing in ethnic languages. An interesting insight is that one large ancient tea tree might yield only about one kilogram of tea, making high-quality production meticulous and rare. Victoria designs all packaging herself, incorporating patterns from Yunnan's 26 ethnic groups and local scenery like Dali's tie-dye art to spread cultural awareness. She notes a significant challenge: many young people in China view tea as a beverage for older generations, creating a natural barrier. To combat this, she started a school tea club, teaching history, brewing methods, and serving traditional tea desserts to engage peers. The industry faces issues with counterfeit tea, where unscrupulous merchants sell low-quality leaves under famous names like Bingdao, damaging consumer trust. Victoria believes a brand's power lies in its story, comparing buying a brand to opening a book that must keep readers returning. Her immediate business strategy involves collaborating with existing tea shops in Chengdu and Kunming, with plans to open her own physical shop by September. The tone is conversational and educational, blending personal narrative with practical business and cultural insights. This episode would appeal to listeners interested in social entrepreneurship, sustainable supply chains, or authentic cultural storytelling. Those seeking highly technical business analysis or debates on market strategy might find it less suited to their interests.

As heard by us

A student founder's tea story that links flavor, farmers, and brand building.

Victoria Fang Gao's tea venture reads as a practical founder story grounded in Yunnan, with Diana Drake giving her room to explain how a new brand stays tied to the farmers and mountain landscape behind it.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Follow a student founder developing her own tea brand in Yunnan, with a bigger vision behind it.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify