Jennifer Widjaja is the co-founder of Singapore's Just Dabao, an Antler-backed social impact green marketplace for surplus food with 20K+ users and 450+ F&B merchants and their own mobile app.

👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

I'm a food waste warrior! I help F&B eateries sell their surplus food to consumers who want to save them.

🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

Personal: I threw the discus competitively for Singapore in high school!

Professional: During the beginnings of Just Dabao, I did everything from delivering food to customers to manning the desk for our client/merchant's shop to sell the surplus food when they were not around. Acquiring every believer around me was super critical, especially at the beginning of my journey!

🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

There have been many highlights in my career so far with Just Dabao, but most of them always circle back to how our customers felt empowered and satisfied with their experience with us. Most of the time, when I'm feeling down or discouraged at work, I always go to my customers' reviews to remind myself why I'm here.

🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

Definitely the sustainability space! It helps that I'm in this space too, of course. Regardless, the issues in this space are too big to ignore. More startups, investors, corporates and governments understand that it is not going away anytime soon.

💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

Having mentors that believe in you and your work from the beginning will help your journey be a lot less painful and lonely.

🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

The wonders of human emotions :)

🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Love anything Marvel!

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Cookies and Cream!