Portrait No. 001
Tugs-Oyun Davaadorj
Founder & CEO
OYU Botanica
Raised — Currently in a raise
OYU Botanica began with memories of my grandmother’s garden. Growing up, I watched her care for plants and use simple botanical remedies passed down through generations in Mongolia. She taught me that nature holds powerful wisdom for healing and self-care. Years later, a turning point came when my husband began experiencing hair loss and struggled to find products that were both effective and gentle. Many solutions were harsh or filled with ingredients we didn’t feel comfortable using. That moment brought me back to the lessons from my grandmother’s garden and inspired me to explore plant-based alternatives. What started as a personal search for clean, nurturing care grew into OYU Botanica. Today, we create vegan, cruelty-free, EWG-verified skincare rooted in botanical traditions—honoring nature, heritage, and the belief that beauty rituals should care for both people and the planet.
In her words
“I founded OYU Botanica to prove that wellness can be personal, sustainable, heritage driven and radically inclusive. My mission is to empower women to care for themselves without compromise—and to build a world where clean, conscious beauty is the standard, not the exception”
Chapter I
The toughest challenges you've faced as a founder.
Building OYU Botanica has required relentless resilience. As a female immigrant founder building a clean beauty brand in the Bay Area, I quickly realized how difficult it is to be heard in a startup ecosystem dominated by AI and tech. I pitched the company more than 1,000 times—to investors, retailers, partners, and industry leaders. Most conversations started with the same reaction: “We’re focused on tech right now.” But I kept going. Every “no” pushed me to refine the story, strengthen the brand, and prove traction through action. Instead of waiting for validation, I focused on building community, developing high-quality products, and securing retail placements. Today, OYU Botanica is carried in multiple retail locations and continues to grow through direct-to-consumer sales and partnerships. The hardest part hasn’t just been funding—it’s been getting people to stop, listen, and believe in a beauty brand rooted in heritage and clean innovation. That challenge has also been my motivation. I’m proud to be building a brand that brings cultural storytelling and botanical wisdom into modern skincare.
Chapter II
Your vision.
I’m obsessed with solving the disconnect between effective skincare and truly clean, gentle ingredients. Too many people—especially those with sensitive skin—are forced to choose between harsh, irritating actives or products that simply don’t work. At the same time, centuries of botanical knowledge from cultures around the world remain underrepresented in modern skincare. With OYU Botanica, I want to change that. My vision is to bring heritage-driven botanical wisdom into modern, science-backed clean beauty, creating products that are both effective and kind to the skin and the planet. The change I hope to enable is a shift toward more conscious beauty—where people understand what they put on their skin, brands honor cultural knowledge responsibly, and skincare rituals become a form of connection to nature rather than just another product routine. If we do this right, beauty becomes not only healthier for individuals, but more respectful of our shared world.
Chapter III
The impact you want to leave behind — for your industry, your community, and the women who come next.
Thirty years from now, I hope OYU Botanica is remembered for helping reshape beauty into something more conscious, inclusive, and connected to nature. I want to show that cultural traditions and botanical wisdom deserve a place alongside modern innovation. Most importantly, I hope my journey inspires more women—especially immigrant founders—to build boldly, even in industries where they are often overlooked. If OYU Botanica can open doors for future founders, celebrate heritage, and prove that sustainable, thoughtful beauty can thrive, that will be the legacy I’m most proud of.