Meet two changemakers using business to grow purposeful ideas to shape a more sustainable future
In today’s world, business is no longer just about bottom lines and boardrooms – it’s about serving a larger need and building a better way of living. This week’s Friday Future Listers shines a light on individuals who are proving that purpose and profit can go hand in hand.
These entrepreneurs and founders are creating solutions to real-world challenges. Each one brings a different perspective but they share a common goal: to build something that contributes positively to the way we live.
Here are the people using business to support a better quality of life for all.
Farming Forward: Papatsaraporn “Pum” Rienthong’s New Take on Thai Farming
For generations, many Thai farmers have depended on seasonal crops for income, often facing uncertainty due to changing market prices and traditional practices. Papatsaraporn “Pum” Rienthong is part of a new generation of farmers transforming Thailand’s agricultural landscape. As the second-generation leader of her family’s sugar cane business in Ratchaburi, Pum recognised early on that relying on traditional methods – such as harvesting sugar cane once a year – kept many farming families in a cycle of financial insecurity. Determined to shift this model, she introduced an approach that combines proactive farming with market insight and innovation.
Pum transformed her family’s farming model by adding value to their crops, starting with fresh-pressed sugar cane juice. She later launched Raimaijon, Thailand’s first pasteurised sugar cane juice brand, combining natural production with innovative packaging design – stackable bottles shaped like sugar cane nodes, gaining attention both locally and abroad.
The brand is committed to offering a product that is as close to fresh as possible, using a gentle pasteurisation process that preserves nutrients and natural flavour. The venture has helped double farmers’ incomes and supported the establishment of community enterprises that supply sugar cane directly to the factory. With her pioneering spirit, Pum also introduced the country’s first sugar cane juice slurpee franchise, creating new channels for local entrepreneurship.
Pranitan “Pete” Phornprapha on Leading with Purpose and Planet in Mind
With Wonderfruit approaching again soon, let’s take a closer look at the person behind the festival and the driving force behind its greener, more sustainable vision. Driven by curiosity and a desire to create meaningful impact, Pranitan “Pete” Phornprapha founded Scratch First, the company behind Wonderfruit, a globally recognised festival that celebrates music, art, food and sustainable living. Pete’s vision for Wonderfruit wasn’t only to create a typical music festival. It started with a simple idea to use art, music and culture as ways to open up conversations about the environmental challenges we face.
Now entering its 10th year, Wonderfruit is held annually in The Fields at Siam Country Club in Chonburi. From its strict ban on single-use plastics and zero-waste bar system to composting initiatives and regenerative agriculture, the event integrates ecological mindfulness into every layer.
This year’s highlight includes the restoration of approximately 200 acres of the local ecosystem with over 5,000 native plants and expanded herbal gardens for education and wellbeing. Pete’s vision also comes through in standout festival spaces like the Living Village, redesigned by Design Qua Studio to host over 2,000 people in an earth berm setting, and the Molam Theatre, a wooden structure that honours the musical and cultural heritage of northeastern Thailand.
But it’s not just about art and architecture. Wonderfruit also brings together music and wellbeing through programmes like Sonic Minds and Torus Energy Field, which explore how sound, mindfulness and traditional wisdom can support healing and connection. With Wonderfruit, Pete Phornprapha continues to demonstrate how business, when guided by purpose, can foster joy and a greener future.
