The CEO of "Toys &," in his 60s, successfully secured funding for a moon jar incense holder made from otherwise-unusable oyster shells.
Turning Troublesome Oyster Shells into
CEO of 'Toys &,' Who Created a Moon Jar Incense Holder
Do you know Woo Ha-young, the CEO of Toys &, a woman in her 60s who turns hard-to-dispose-of oyster shells into works of art?
Born on Geoje Island, CEO Woo Ha-young wanted to solve the problem of oyster shells in Tongyeong and Geoje Island.
She says that when oysters are piled up, they glow like moonlight when viewed from a distance.
However, because oysters contain “sulfur compounds,” they rot in the summer and flow into sewage and wastewater, causing serious environmental problems.
The foul odor also led to disputes between oyster farmers and local residents, turning the issue into a social problem.
At first, she started by collecting oyster shells directly from the seashore.
After washing the oyster shells thoroughly, crushing them, and molding the mixture, she was able to create a rough shape.
“Eureka!” CEO Woo Ha-young began creating artworks using oyster shells in her 50s.
How to come up with ideas for a startup?
CEO Woo Ha-young says that even now, when she’s stuck for ideas, she visits a recycling center.
People keep what they need and throw away what they think they don’t need. But she says there are actually many things among those discarded items that can spark ideas.
She says it’s a great opportunity to encounter things outside her usual sphere of interest.
There are people who learn about the world with their heads, with their hearts, and with their feet.
and while you can apply what you’ve learned with a sharp mind when you’re young, she says that as you get older, you have to learn by getting out there.
Believing that those who learn through experience are the ones who truly learn, CEO Woo Ha-young has been traveling all over Seoul lately to gather new ideas.
A Person Who Thinks About Discarded Things
CEO Woo Ha-young says she didn’t set out to start a business from the beginning.
However, she had always paid close attention to discarded items and the vulnerable.
She studied law in college because she wanted to advocate for the wronged and the poor.
But now, she’s turning oyster shells into works of art to address environmental issues,
and alongside that, she’s also helping people who were adopted overseas find their birth parents.
She concluded the video with these words:
“Whether you’re young or old, I don’t think it’s sad to fail to achieve your dreams—it’s sad to have no dreams at all.
That’s why I hope that even on the day I die, I’ll be dreaming like this.”
Be sure to check out the heartwarming comments on CEO Woo Ha-young’s video ▼
🎬 Watch the video
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