Good medicine doesn’t have to taste bitter — How Reprise is blending Eastern medicine with Western wellness philosophies

In this series, we explore the experiences of Singaporean business leaders who have ventured abroad and the ways in which they have navigated cultural differences to achieve success.

We hear from prominent homegrown C-suite executives and entrepreneurs who have expanded their businesses across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Get insights on how they have adapted their leadership styles and business strategies to fit local cultural norms and how they have leveraged their Singaporean heritage to build relationships and foster trust with international partners.

I never thought a 1.5km race back in Singapore would mirror the challenges I’d face as an entrepreneur, but it shaped me more than I knew. I was a competitive runner as a kid, constantly pushing myself. During one race, a competitor knocked me down in the final stretch. As I lay there, physically and emotionally drained, it felt like everything had slipped away.

But something inside me refused to quit. I got up, pushed forward, and crossed the finish line. To my surprise, I’d secured third place. My competitor had celebrated too early, never even crossing the line.

That moment stayed with me. My mother always said, “It’s you versus you. Stay true to that, and the results will take care of themselves.” Those words have carried me through life, especially in business. Entrepreneurship is much like a marathon — you ride emotional highs and lows, from the joy of breakthroughs to the stress of missed deadlines.

It’s easy to feel like you're falling behind when you see competitors gaining ground, but I remind myself to focus on what I can control, to put in the work, and to trust the process.

Now, at 34, I live in Boston and run Reprise, a startup I co-founded with my business partner David Yu, whom I met during Harvard Business School orientation.

Together, we’re blending ancient Eastern traditions with modern Western wellness trends, and we’ve built a company that turns Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into something simple and accessible: gummies.

It’s funny, really. As a kid, I grimaced whenever my grandmother made bitter herbal soups. She’d always tell me, “良藥苦口 (liáng yào kǔ kǒu) — good medicine tastes bitter.” Little did I know then that I’d be turning those very same herbs into something as sweet and convenient as a gummy.

Crafting tradition with modernity

Reprise is our way of bridging the gap between Eastern medicine and Western lifestyles. In today’s wellness-driven world, many people are interested in TCM but find it hard to incorporate these remedies into their daily routines. How do you source the right herbs? How long do you brew them? And how do you take them consistently?

With Reprise, we wanted to remove those barriers. We source our herbs directly from a fifth-generation Taiwanese family company, ensuring only the highest quality. We brew them for hours traditionally, but instead of making you drink a bitter soup, we pack them into fruity gummies you can enjoy daily. My grandmother would probably laugh, saying only I would be stubborn enough to insist that medicine doesn’t always have to be bitter.

Still, the process wasn’t easy — especially during the pandemic. We spent two years researching, developing, selecting herbs, balancing dosages, and fine-tuning flavours. We partnered with Harvard doctors and trained herbalists to ensure that each herb was rooted in tradition and backed by modern clinical data.

One of the most complex parts was getting the taste right. I still remember our early ginseng gummy trials. They were so bitter that none of our close friends, myself included, could swallow them. It took over 15 iterations before we got the flavour and texture to a point where they were both effective and enjoyable.

We have worked closely with KPC Herbs, a Taiwanese company making herbal medicine since 1892. The logistics were challenging during Covid — KPC would fly prototypes to New York, we’d test them, send feedback, and the process would repeat. It was a painstaking cycle, but each round brought us closer to our goal: to make TCM accessible without sacrificing its effectiveness.

A heritage reclaimed

What sets Reprise apart from other health supplements is our heritage. David and I grew up with grandmothers who fed us bitter herbs, part of a long-standing tradition of nurturing healthy, happy families. But as we grew older, we lost touch with that part of our culture. Reprise has been our way of reconnecting with that heritage and sharing it with the world.

We’re not just another vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free supplement company. While those things are essential, they’re the baseline in today’s market. What truly differentiates us is our commitment to authenticity.

We don’t cut corners. Our herbs undergo traditional water extraction methods, preserving the active ingredients in their natural ratio. This is not something you can easily replicate with a generic supply chain. I remember asking Rosemary Tsai, the head of KPC Herbs, what makes their extract better than the rest of the market.

Her response? “No compromises.” Up to 70 per cent of the herbs they source can be rejected if they don’t meet their standards. That level of care and precision is what makes our product unique.

Lessons beyond the classroom

Even with a Harvard MBA, starting a business brings more lessons than I could have imagined. Classroom theories provide a helpful framework, sure. When I encounter operational complexities — like the balance between supply chain management and cash flow — those frameworks help me understand the broader implications. But no academic experience can fully prepare you for the real-world challenges.

I learned firsthand early in Reprise’s journey when we hired a food scientist to help with our formulation. We did our due diligence, vetted her through trusted referrals, and felt confident. But after requesting an upfront payment, she disappeared. We lost money and time, a harsh reminder that some lessons can only be learned through experience.

Thankfully, I have David by my side. We often joke that our relationship is like a marriage, and Reprise is our baby. Building this company together has tested our dynamic in many ways, but what makes it work is our shared values and ability to challenge each other.

Our partnership was solidified through an odd game we played, in which we called out arrogant behaviour in each other and those around us. This game created a culture of open, direct communication, transparency, and honesty that has become the foundation of our work together. We may not always agree, but we always put Reprise first.

A connected community

As I reflect on this journey, one of the most surprising things has been how small and interconnected the world of TCM is. I’ve built deep relationships with other brand founders, from heritage companies like Eu Yan Sang to emerging brands in the US. These relationships are invaluable — conversations with other entrepreneurs who are as passionate as I am about bringing the benefits of TCM to a broader audience.

For me, this journey is truly been about bridging cultures, modernising traditions, and making holistic wellness accessible to people everywhere. Reprise is my way of giving back to the heritage that shaped me and forging a new path forward. I’m proud of our accomplishments and excited about where we’re headed.