Founder and CEO, Mei Yong, recently joined Amie Larter (CEO of Inside FMCG’s publisher, Octomedia) and Angeline Achariya FTSE GAICD (Asia-Pacific Chair of the Food Systems Innovation and Resilience Wing, G100 Mission Million) on the Women Transforming Food podcast.
In this episode, Mei discusses the pivotal insight that reshaped the direction of her oat innovation journey, and how collaboration has become the foundation of everything we do at My Plant Co.
Redefining Collaboration in Food Innovation
With more than twenty years in the FMCG sector and experience building multiple successful brands, Mei has become a passionate advocate for partnership-driven innovation and sustainable product development.
On Women Transforming Food, she shared how My Plant Co’s mission to reimagine oats began.
“Before the pandemic, we were exploring new directions for the business,” Mei explained. “We looked at every grain – wheat, lupins, red lentils – everything that grows in WA. Everything at that point in time was pointing towards oats.”
From there, our team set out to move beyond traditional breakfast formats, developing oat-based rice, noodles and pasta designed to unlock the nutritional and functional potential of oats in everyday foods.
Finding Strength in Partnership
Early in the journey, Mei recognised that a small team could only move so fast. “We needed to piggyback off a larger, broader team that had already spent enormous amounts of time on research in oats,” she said.
That insight led us to the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC), an organisation that had already developed proprietary oat technologies. “That was a new beginning for us,” Mei recalled. “We showed early interest in their IP, and that was pivotal to our growth.”
Recognising the power of collaboration, My Plant Co later joined forces with the Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA), a Queensland-based network of researchers and industry experts. FaBA brought technical expertise, governance and compliance support, and access to specialist research capabilities.
“When you collaborate, you invite others to be part of your vision,” Mei said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect or completely ready. You’re bringing people in because you need help – and that builds trust, alignment and stronger results.”
This approach led to a $5.6 million co-investment between My Plant Co, the Western Australian Government and FaBA to advance oat-based innovation. “If we want to represent Australian innovation globally, we need to work as one,” Mei added.
Building the Framework for Success
At the heart of our partnerships is a focus on trust, clarity and respect. “At the beginning, we put a strong emphasis on trust, on relationship building, and on managing proprietary IP correctly,” Mei said. “Having clear agreements of ownership upfront is crucial to avoiding bottlenecks later.”
Equally important is understanding the value each partner brings. “You bring people on board for their expertise – not to tell them every single detail of what to do. Opening up allows both parties to frame better decisions and stay connected to the mission.”
Insights That Drive Innovation
Through FaBA’s market insights team, My Plant Co was able to gain a deeper understanding of how consumers around the world experience rice – from texture preferences to cooking methods and packaging expectations.
“We needed a product that cooks like rice and eats like rice,” Mei said. “That’s how you achieve consumer adoption.”
Those insights guided the development of our oat-based alt-rice, a sustainable and versatile staple designed to fit seamlessly into global diets.
The Future of Food
For us at My Plant Co, collaboration is not a strategy – it is a mindset. Mei’s journey reflects our belief that innovation happens when knowledge is shared, not siloed.
“Those big ideas and dreams need more people at the table to create the change required,” Mei said. “Collaboration brings trust, alignment and peace – that’s where real innovation begins.”
Through our partnerships with AEGIC, FaBA and government collaborators, we are proving that the future of food will be shaped not by competition, but by connection.
Listen to the full episode of Women Transforming Food to hear Mei’s story and discover how collaboration, curiosity and courage are driving the next era of sustainable food innovation here.
