Lin Jiang

Founder & CEO, Yishi Foods

Los Angeles

Lin Jiang is originally from Qingdao, China. She moved to the U.S. at the age of 19 to attend college. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire and began her career at BCG in Boston.

While working long hours, Lin found herself reaching for unhealthy snacks throughout the day. She wanted something healthier to eat at work rather than the bland, sugary oatmeal that she eats out of convenience. Lin recalled the black sesame cereal her mother would make for her as a kid and decided to make her own healthy version.

Lin made her own black sesame oatmeal from scratch, based on her mother's recipe. It was a hit among those who tried it, and she was inspired to start researching how to start a company for better-tasting oatmeal inspired by Asian flavors. She started the MBA program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and shortly after quit her job to pursue building this new company.