Jirawan “Mon” Kumsao

Founder, Tinniyom

Industry : Advocacy

For Jirawan "Mon" Kumsao, returning home became the catalyst for a different kind of research. After working at Thailand’s National Science and Technology Development Agency, the designer, researcher and entrepreneur went back to Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai, applying her scientific background to organic agriculture, community development and sustainable innovation.

Her projects begin with what is already there. Through CNX Healthy Products, she develops health-focused products from local resources, while the Thung Kap Doi learning centre shares knowledge about organic farming. Her support for the Tinniyom community network further connects farmers, producers and consumers through education, collaboration and access to markets. Together, these initiatives seek to improve agricultural practices while retaining more value within the community.

The same thinking takes an intriguing turn in her biomaterial research. Mon’s Mycelium Coffin project combines mycelium with agricultural waste such as corn husks to create biodegradable materials, finding potential in resources that might otherwise be overlooked.

Across these ventures, science is not confined to a laboratory. Mon places it alongside entrepreneurship, farming knowledge and natural systems, using each to inform the others. The thread running through her work is distinctly local but broadly relevant: start with the materials, skills and challenges at hand, then ask how knowledge can make more of them.