Ryan Ong is making mountains out of mushrooms – mountains of impact, that is. The technology entrepreneur and former hospitality manager is on a mission to give Southeast Asia a more eco-friendly way to feed itself after identifying a gap in the market between mushrooms’ potential as a sustainable and resilient food source, and a lack of supply in the region. His passion led him to start Fogo Fungi out of his home in 2023, where he used every spare inch to experiment with mushroom-growing methods using waste materials.

Today, success is sprouting. Ong has expanded into a 4,000sqft facility in Tuas and developed two proprietary cultivation techniques that leverage food waste to grow mushrooms at scale – we’re talking three to five times faster than traditional methods, a critical advantage in land-scarce Singapore. He’s also launched workshops and created a bestselling DIY grow kit, both of which serve as tools to help educate others on the benefits of mushrooms. In his words:

When you consider the world’s uncertainties, it’s critical to be always prepared. By growing mushrooms locally, we’re helping to reduce reliance on imports and promoting a more sustainable, locally sourced food ecosystem – taking small but meaningful steps towards a more self-sufficient future.

While countries like the US and Australia have strong support for local produce, this is still growing in Singapore. Building awareness and educating the market on the benefits of gourmet mushrooms is an ongoing challenge that we’re excited to tackle. We’re also proud to have built strong partnerships with top chefs, restaurants and hotels. These collaborations have not only validated the quality of our mushrooms, but given us a platform to highlight their unique flavours.

https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/people/40-under-40/ryan-ong-prestige-40-under-40-2025/