Setting the Table to Reclaim Asian Cultures and Cuisines: An Interview with Omsom founders, Kim and Vanessa Pham
By: Abena Anim-Somuah and Aleeza Hashmi
Sisters Kim and Vanessa Pham, who previously worked in venture capital and management consulting, launched Omsom in May to reclaim the Asian flavors, stories, and communities that they hold near and dear. As daughters of Vietnamese refugees, Omsom is a celebration of the rambunctious nature that the sisters have embraced growing up. By partnering with the executive chefs at famed NYC jaunts like Fish Cheeks, Jeepney, and Madame Vo, the Pham sisters have transformed the quarantine cooking game with their pantry shortcuts called Starters, which are now on backorder!
In this interview, Kim and Vanessa share their stories as founders, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and handy kitchen tips that have made them strong cooks.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Aleeza Hashmi: How do you think about starting a company in a world where people think you can’t or shouldn’t?
Vanessa Pham: This notion that people don’t think we can or should start a company is the reason why we started Omsom. I think it is important for people whose perspectives are underrepresented to try their best to shape the culture in order for their perspective to stand out and be seen.
For us, Omsom is about being unapologetic about Asian culture and Asian flavours. It was really important to make sure that our story as first-generation Vietnamese Americans was not diluted in the process of building this company. Our company is a direct response to the world where people didn’t think a brand like ours should exist.
Aleeza: What role do you see Omsom playing in bringing Vietnamese / Asian food into the limelight? Where do you see Omsom five years from now?
Kim Pham: Vanessa and I made this realization that if we were going to build this company, a company hinged on reclaiming, and in many ways, decolonizing, and celebrating these cuisines/cultures we have to do it the right way. And for us, the right way meant that we had to include the right folks.
This was built into our company from day one and for each of the cuisines that we build in products, we partnered with iconic chefs, who we refer to as “Tastemakers,” who had cut their teeth and built their names in these respective cuisines by redefining them. They helped us with everything from recipe development to marketing. At the end of the day, we want to normalize and give access to the cuisines featured in Omsom in the same way that you would reach for tomato sauce at the grocery store. We want to move these cuisines away from special occasions and into the hearts and homes of customers where picking up a sauce packet is like second nature.
At the end of the day, we want to normalize and give access to the cuisines featured in Omsom in the same way that you would reach for tomato sauce at the grocery store. We want to move these cuisines away from special occasions and into the hearts and homes of customers where picking up a sauce packet is like second nature.
Vanessa: I absolutely agree with you, Kim. We believe that members of underrepresented communities can support other members in uplifting their voices. That’s why we give our tastemakers royalties for the Starters they helped develop. Omsom is an opportunity for us to give people access to real deal Asian cuisine, rather than something that’s been diluted in the “ethnic” aisle.
First and foremost, we want the Asian community to be proud of what we are doing and to feel that the flavours represent their cultures well. In five years, we would love to see Omsom in places where you would least expect it. We want to be in the homes and hearts of suburban and rural America as a representation of uncompromised Asian flavours.
Abena Anim-Somuah: What was the process like launching Omsom during a pandemic?
Vanessa: It was a journey and a complete learning curve for us. Kim knows, I’m pretty tough on myself. She reminded me several times, “We’re launching a company during the pandemic.” We had to take that into account when assessing how we were doing and there were times when I was frustrated with delays and obstacles so it was a good reminder from Kim to take a step back.
We ran into delays across the board, with packaging, raw materials, and even delays with key ingredients. For our early trials and production runs, we couldn’t even be on the factory floor because of COVID. We FaceTimed the production team during our last run before the launch. I had the team overnight everything — before we released any product and tested it out in our homey New York city kitchen to give it the “green light.”
On the marketing side, we had photographers planned, and that all went out the window once shelter-in-place was implemented. Kim filmed all of our cooking videos with her cell phone and with that developed a whole new skill in two days. I’m so proud of her and it was amazing to see how resourceful she became at a pivotal point.
Kim: We just had to be scrappier and take a more DIY approach which brought us back to the heart of our business. These constraints force you to ask yourself, “Okay, what do we have? What can we do?”. Our dedication to these communities, cultures, and our heart as founders helped push us through from concept to launch.
It was a journey and a complete learning curve for us. Kim knows, I’m pretty tough on myself. She reminded me several times, “We’re launching a company during the pandemic.” We had to take that into account when assessing how we were doing and there were times when I was frustrated with delays and obstacles so it was a good reminder from Kim to take a step back.
Aleeza: Can you share what your experience was like fundraising as an underrepresented minority?
Vanessa: We raised a small pre-seed last year. On the spectrum of founders, we still feel deeply privileged for multiple reasons. Being Vietnamese-American, we know that our plight is less than what it is for Black and Brown folks. Given our backgrounds, we were probably perceived as “lower risk” founders because I went to Harvard, Kim went to NYU, and started off her career in venture capital. We 100% own and acknowledge our privilege. That being said, I do feel there are a couple of things we experienced as underrepresented founders. Sometimes we felt pigeonholed when we were pitching as we were quickly seen as Asian founders building an Asian company. Reactions included “That’s neat, but the population is small,” and “Only Asian people would be interested in this,” or “ I don’t see how am I going to get the return of investment that I’m looking for.” We had many meetings where we would walk out feeling that they stopped hearing us after two minutes into the conversation.
Being pigeonholed was frustrating because we didn’t have the chance to tell the story that 1) Asian Americans are the fastest-growing population in the U.S. with the fastest growing purchasing power. And 2) Asian culture is relevant to non-Asian folks, too. The investors that did back us saw the future that we see, one where Asian- American culture is widely respected and recognized for the multitudes that exist within it, as opposed to being “othered” or diluted.
Being pigeonholed was frustrating because we didn’t have the chance to tell the story that 1) Asian Americans are the fastest-growing population in the U.S. with the fastest growing purchasing power. And 2) Asian culture is relevant to non-Asian folks, too. The investors that did back us saw the future that we see, one where Asian- American culture is widely respected and recognized for the multitudes that exist within it, as opposed to being “othered” or diluted.
The other thing that I’ll say was tough is not having generational wealth, which came up a lot during the fundraising process. I think that when you don’t have access to capital as a founder, you often come from a place of scarcity. We didn’t pay ourselves for months. During those months, behind the scenes, we’re trying to pay rent and buy groceries but then going to meetings acting as if I don’t need this investor’s money while selling them the dream. It’s hard to live both of those realities at once. We definitely found the right people in the end, but not without challenge.
Kim: In my past life in venture, I would often be the only woman and the only woman of color in a room. Back when I was working in the world of venture, the percentage of VC dollars going towards women, let alone women of color, was in the single digits. We knew from the start that it was going to be an uphill battle which took a toll on us as founders. It’s hard to continue to sell the dream when you walk in and folks are saying, “Oh, cute, here are little Asian sisters running this little Asian food thing built on top of their mom’s inspiration.” We got a lot of that, which often felt rooted in misogyny. That was tough but I think it fueled our fire even more to make sure that we had the right people involved.
We’re building the company of our dreams, which means we’re building it with the people of our dreams. Not only with our tastemakers, but we worked hard to make sure that at least half of our cap table has women or POC investors. We’re very thankful for the group of amazing investors that we have behind us and are happy with who we get to bring along on this journey with us.
We’re building the company of our dreams, which means we’re building it with the people of our dreams. Not only with our tastemakers, but we worked hard to make sure that at least half of our cap table has women or POC investors. We’re very thankful for the group of amazing investors that we have behind us and are happy with who we get to bring along on this journey with us.
Aleeza: Kim, given your experience in venture, were there certain things that you were already prepared for, or advice that you would give to someone who is in your position as a woman or a person of color?
Kim: My background in venture was helpful to an extent, although I was working for a seed fund and B2B. Given my experience in venture, when we first started raising, we went straight to the usual suspects of pre-seed/seed funds. We realized that angels were actually a better fit because they got what we’re doing and had deep industry domain expertise in CPG or consumer. They understood our story, much quicker as opposed to pitching the seed funds directly. Don’t underestimate the power of a good angel, even if they write smaller checks. That was something that took us a bit of time to learn.
We realized that angels were actually a better fit because they got what we’re doing and had deep industry domain expertise in CPG or consumer. They understood our story, much quicker as opposed to pitching the seed funds directly. Don’t underestimate the power of a good angel, even if they write smaller checks.
Abena: As more people are cooking, what are three tips you have for people in the kitchen?
Vanessa: Don’t underestimate the freezer, people. I think most people think of the freezer as where the microwaveable and greasy food you get at the grocery store goes. However, one of the biggest things that I learned from my Asian mother is that the freezer is where it’s at. A lot of things freeze well and if you heat them up even a month later, they’ll taste good. All you need are a good amount of Ziploc freezer quality bags, a Sharpie to label everything, and be sure to pre-portion your food. It’s great from a money-saving perspective and also makes cooking more worth it.
Kim: Get a great quality knife. It makes all the difference cooking when you are not hacking away with a janky Ikea knife. You don’t even have to invest in an expensive one. You could get existing knives sharpened at your local, cookware store to keep them in great condition. I use these Wusthof knives and I look forward to cooking because I know I’m going to be able to slice vegetables the way I want them to be sliced. It seems silly and minor, but it’s true.
Vanessa: Another game-changer in becoming a home cook was investing in a cast iron skillet. I think a major misconception about cast is that they are hard to maintain. As long as you season them properly, don’t leave them in water for a long time, and make sure you rub down with a neutral oil, they can last forever. Like Kim said about the knives, they don’t have to be expensive, you can get a great cast iron skillet from Lodge and there are some upscale ones if you want to be fancier.
I love my cast iron because I love texture in my food. Not to make a massive generalization but as a Vietnamese person, texture is super important in food and the cast iron does the best job of getting food very crunchy and crispy. That’s because cast irons are made from a durable material that evenly distributes heat resulting in the most beautiful browning and caramelization. Just want to put a word out there that cast iron skillets are not as intimidating as they seem.
Abena: What do you wish every female founder knew before starting their company? Or if they were on the edge, what advice would you give?
Kim: I sound like a Negative Nelly here but know that when you start this, the odds are against you, particularly if you’re a woman of color. I think it’s just important to acknowledge that bias and prejudice are at play. From hiring to fundraising and everything in between, it can feel discouraging to acknowledge the reality of it.
However, on a positive note, the tides are changing in the ecosystem, with All Raise playing a huge part in that, and people are being more cognizant of the impact of diversity and equity. That being said, it’s important to be intentional in finding champions and allies who are rooting for you. When you draw a line in the sand and communicate your values publicly, you will find the folks who you’re meant to build with and alongside. I think this is a great mindset to have a tribe who can help accelerate your journey!
For my piece of advice, it’s important to find mentors and investors that are not only advocates for your brand, but also for your mental health and your journey as a founder and as a leader. Some of our biggest advocates, who I truly don’t know what I would do without them, encouraged Kim and me to take a half-day off to celebrate our achievements which helped us bounce back to be stronger founders.
Vanessa: Just expanding on Kim’s point about finding your tribe. For my piece of advice, it’s important to find mentors and investors that are not only advocates for your brand, but also for your mental health and your journey as a founder and as a leader.
Some of our biggest advocates, who I truly don’t know what I would do without them, encouraged Kim and me to take a half-day off to celebrate our achievements which helped us bounce back to be stronger founders. These people have also taught the ropes on weathering the challenges that come with being a founder as well as building a team wholeheartedly.
As a child of immigrants, I think I was always trying to please people, but our group of mentors have encouraged us to be vulnerable founders. I would encourage other female founders that if you encounter a challenge that is personally or mentally affecting you to not put that aside but rather prioritize it and grow from it. To be a good founder is to be a sustainable founder and it takes the right tribe to get you there.
Abena Anim-Somuah is a contributing writer at All Raise. When she is not working on the Business Development team at Ada Support, she is avidly baking and elevating Black culinary creatives on Instagram , listening to a podcast, or digging into a good book. You can find her on Twitter.
Aleeza Hashmi is a Contributing Writer at All Raise. She is pursuing her MBA at Wharton and is a Venture Fellow with Rough Draft Ventures (powered by General Catalyst). She is an avid skiier, a so-so baker, and slowly mastering her mom’s recipes! Find her on Twitter and Medium.
