Under The Radar is our monthly column where we highlight some of the coolest, most inspiring founders of brands in the home and kitchen space.
Born in New York City and raised in New Jersey by Cambodian-Chinese refugees, Danny Taing had no idea his professional journey would take him from Stanford University to snacks. As the founder and CEO of Bokksu, a Japanese snack and candy subscription box, Taing now finds himself surrounded by cookies, chocolates and other delightful—and often unique—bites, but his immersion into Japan’s snack culture was unexpected.
Danny Taing’s mission is to share the delicious treats Japan had to offer without using the typical ... [+]
Though he studied Japanese in college, Taing never thought he’d live there, but a year into his marketing job at Google, he was itching for a new challenge and a new destination. Taing enrolled in a study abroad program in Japan and it was during this time when he became fluent in the language and developed a deep appreciation of Japanese snacks.
Hoping to stay there long-term, he found a role at online retail marketplace Rakuten and quickly learned the ins and outs of Japan’s business culture. To do so, however, took a personal toll: “I had to go back into the closet for the first time since high school,” recalls Taing, who in an open post last year, identified himself as a “proud gay Asian man.”
Taing ultimately returned to New York City, but found himself missing the food (and his husband Shunsuke, who still lives in Japan). That’s when he got the idea for Bokksu—only he wanted to source snacks from small, local producers.
“I wanted to take it in a totally different direction, working with family businesses in Japan, supporting their traditions and cultural heritage,” says Taing. “But it was hard to get people’s trust and convince them to try it out. Producers are all saying that they have authentic, best Japanese snacks, but how do I prove that to people without them recognizing anything?”
The answer, it turns out, was exceptional curation and smart digital marketing.
On Bridging Cultures Through Snacks
From the get go, Taing’s mission was to share the delicious treats Japan had to offer without using the typical tactics that others in the snack space relied on to appeal to American consumers.
“There were already a lot of competitors out there, but they were doing more mass-produced candies or wacky, crazy candy, things like that,” he says. But given the time he spent in Japan and the fact that Bokksu would curate items from local producers, it was important to showcase the food and culture through a more thoughtful lens.
“We stay respectful. We're not fetishizing or exoticizing any of our products or makers,” he says. “As a rule from the beginning, we don't use the words wacky, crazy, weird or exotic in any of our marketing copy, which is a pretty common thing when people sell “foreign” snacks and “foreign” products.”
Bokksu’s appreciation of its makers has led to more than 100 partnerships in eight years. Each box not only features 20-plus Japanese snacks, but also comes with a mini magazine that offers insight into each product’s origins or ingredients.
“By having that type of intention, I think that's how we make sure we stay authentic and respectful,” says Taing.
On Being An Intersectional Founder
At the time Bokksu launched in 2015, it was difficult to prove to potential investors that there was indeed a market for a Japanese snack subscription box. It’s gotten easier, thanks to a crop of AAPI-founded food brands that have shot into the CPG spotlight in recent years. People can now find Fly By Jing chili crisp at Costco and Nguyen Coffee Supply Vietnamese cold brew at Whole Foods. Flavors like matcha, ube and yuzu have made their mark on the American palate.
“What I sought out to do, which is to bridge cultures and to sell primarily to non-Japanese and non-Asians, is now being proven out by many other brands too,” says Taing, who only received his first Series A funding in January 2022. Having other Asian American founders to connect with has been a welcome change for Taing, who co-organized the inaugural Asian Founders Summit in May. He has also taken up the challenge of becoming a more consumer-facing CEO—hence the personal social media posts.
“When I started Bokksu, it was a pretty lonely journey. There were very few Asians, especially consumer founders, and any time I spoke on a panel, I was always the double minority,” he says. “That's why I'm trying to do my part in both communities because in the LGBT space, it’s still primarily white and then in the Asian space, it's still primarily non-queer.”
On Growing at the Right Speed—And Testing New Snacks
Aside from securing funding, one of Taing’s biggest challenges has been how and when to grow Bokksu. “From the very beginning, I always knew I wanted to go beyond a snack box. It was even why I named the company Bokksu, which literally just means box in Japanese.”
It’s given Bokksu the opportunity to move beyond its snack subscription origins. The company also operates Bokksu Boutique, which sells premium Japanese gifts and refills of its bestselling snacks and Bokksu Market, a one-stop shop for Asian and Asian American groceries. Exciting new things continue to happen with Bokksu, too. Most recently, it launched a snack and collectibles subscription with what’s undoubtedly one of Japan’s most recognizable figures: Hello Kitty.
Despite Bokksu’s success, there’s still one hurdle Taing has yet to conquer: Making sweet beans the next big thing.
“Any type of sweet bean is just not popular at all. We've tried in so many different formats,” he says. But that won’t stop the Bokksu team from experimenting with various snack combinations and flavor profiles.
“People like to actually try something uniquely different even if they may not like it. That allows us to be more authentic and traditional, so we keep raising the bar on ourselves.”
