Yoonjung Yi is the co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Baskit, a supply chain enabler that helps brands scale in Indonesia by connecting them with the right sales channel partners and providing digital and cash flow solutions. They raised a $3.3M seed in 2023.

Before launching Baskit, she built her career in Shanghai, working at a private equity firm and one of the world’s largest FMCG companies, specializing in organizational development, post-merger change management, and digital transformation.

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

I’m building Baskit, where we help consumer brands and businesses grow and succeed by digitalizing operations, improving cash flow, and expanding across all sales channels in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, offline sales still dominate—only 3-4% of sales happen online, while more than 96% take place offline.

This presents a massive opportunity, especially for ambitious brands looking to scale. However, navigating offline trade is complex—it’s fragmented, relationship-driven, and reliant on old practices and legacy systems.

Imagine launching a new product or expanding your brand in this landscape. Which region has the best product-market fit? Which sales channels will drive the most success? How do you scale distribution without straining cash flow? And how do you manage these fragmented, complex relationships?

That’s where Baskit comes in. We handle everything—from identifying the best regions and sales channels to managing distributor networks—so you don’t have to.

Baskit connects brands with the right channel partners through our network of 10,000+ distributors, F&B chains, and independent wholesalers.

But we do more than just connect—we empower our partners with the right solutions, from digitalizing operations and increasing cash flow to marketing, procurement, sourcing, and even manufacturing support, ensuring they succeed in Indonesia.

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

About me: I can whistle really well, with perfect pitch.

About my job: Before founding Baskit, my entire career was in HR. Who knew that labor laws, people skills, and soft skills would come in so handy when building a company? Turns out, they’re not just useful—they’re essential for a founder.‍

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

Building Baskit, of course—but the journey itself.

I’m most proud of the adversities I’ve faced and the resilience and friendships I’ve built along the way. I’ve never felt this level of internal strength before and I'm quite proud of it.

On top of that, we hit profitability last quarter—a major milestone that makes the journey even more rewarding.

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

AI. It is already redefining how we do business. No matter how much effort we put into building something today, a new startup could disrupt the space overnight using AI.

I’ve seen countless examples of one-person or 0 employee startups making headlines, proving just how fast this transformation is happening. I have a background in HR transformation, so this topic particularly fascinates me.

That said, my view on AI aligns closely with my vision for Baskit—we use technology to make the human piece better, not the other way around.

But the point is AI is no longer a distant future; AI is now. That’s why I’m closely watching this trend—I want Baskit to be at the forefront of this shift, not left behind by it. And I know many founders are thinking the same.

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

Kudos to you. Yes, it will be very tough, but everyone gets better at handling it over time.

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

Probably work. I don’t even like the word ‘work,’ but to me, work is fun!

It’s a reflection of who we are, our dreams, and everything we’ve learned throughout our lives—applied to create value and contribute to society.

I find work-related conversations meaningful because they reveal a person’s priorities, philosophies, and there is always something to learn from. That’s why they always keep me engaged.

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🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

As for my all-time favorite, I’m a huge fan of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his films, like Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York.

Recently, I enjoyed The White Lotus, 3 Body Problem, Pantheon, and Westworld.

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

Mint chocolate. When it comes to ice cream stores, nothing beats Berkey Creamery at Penn State. Completely unmatched. Penn State runs the world’s most prestigious ice cream science course (yes, it’s a thing).

Execs from every major ice cream brand including the founders of Ben & Jerry’s have taken this course.

Berkey Creamery is famous for using dairy straight from cows raised on campus, and there’s a rumor that they ignore health regulations. Explains why their ice cream is so fresh and ridiculously creamy.

If you ever visit the east coast and you’re looking for the guiltiest of all guilty pleasure, this is it.