Our vision and impact

We empower talented home cooks to provide safe, affordable, and delicious meals to their community, creating meaningful economic opportunities in the kitchen, and increasing the diversity of consumer choice.

Pona was founded on the belief that the future of food should elevate the people who make it, nurture cross-cultural connections, and encourage thoughtful consumption.

We are growing our platform while thinking about the impact — both positive and negative — that we may have on the communities we serve.

We create new economic opportunities for women, seniors, and disabled individuals

In line with Sustainable Development Goal 8.3, Pona provides meaningful economic opportunities to millions of talented home chefs.

In particular, the project benefits women, senior citizens and other disadvantaged individuals who may be unable to enter the traditional job market, or lack the capital to start their own business.

70% of every purchase on Pona goes to support home cooks and their families. Our chefs earn an average of RM 75+/hour, well above average wage.

At Pona, we want to strengthen cross-cultural empathy by allowing talented home cooks to create incredible food experiences for their neighbours; providing them with tools to amplify their stories, and raise their status in their community.

Consumers today are more worldly and culturally savvy than ever before, thanks to the internet and low cost air travel. They expect more from their eateries than bland generalisations about a dish, its origins, and its cultural significance.

And for people who cannot afford to go abroad, Pona allows them to travel vicariously through the food of their neighbours.

We nurture cross-cultural connections and highlight talented home chefs within their communities

Cities who fail to support independent eateries and micro-food entrepreneurs are punished with homogeneity of consumer offering, and see profits which could be reinvested in the local economy be lost to franchise holders in foreign headquarters.

Pona strengthens community ties by offering local food heroes an audience for their passion, and a market for their creations.

Buyers are treated to a local food experience with a story, and have the peace of mind that the food is cooked to the highest of standards.

90% of food sold on Pona is unique — you would struggle to find them in regular restaurants in the area.

In line with Sustainable Development Goal 11, Pona allows previously underused home kitchens to serve local communities without the necessity of building new infrastructure, or for that food to travel long distances to reach the consumer’s hands.

We encourage thoughtful consumption, and enforce eco-friendly practices, such as compostable packaging

Sustainable Development Goal 12 seeks to move consumers towards sustainable patterns of consumption and production.

Cultivating a deep connection between the food we’re eating and its ingredients, origins and environmental impact is essential in achieving this goal.

On a planet that suffers a double crisis of food security and overproduction, food waste is a problem that has to be solved. Part of this solution is to localise the production and distribution of food, and to encourage people to better plan their consumption.

Pona encourages buyers to think about the provenance, seasonality, and environmental impact of what they are eating.

Furthermore, with a diverse range of offerings to suit all budgets, dietary requirements, and tastes that are available only through pre-order on the Pona platform, we are confident that we can change consumer behaviour such that food that is not going to be consumed does not end up being produced.