Hi everyone,
I’d genuinely love your honest thoughts on something I’m considering.
I’m a Balkan-Australian woman looking at starting a matcha marketplace / subscription box where people can try different blends from smaller brands. The idea isn’t to create my own “white-labelled” matcha brand but rather to curate and platform smaller producers and emerging brands so customers can explore and purchase through one place.
I’m very aware of the conversation around non-Japanese (often white) women starting matcha brands and how that can feel tone-deaf or culturally extractive. That’s not what I want to do. I don’t want to position myself as a matcha expert or erase the cultural roots — I’d want the platform to educate on origins, highlight Japanese producers where relevant, and centre the story properly.
But I’m also not Japanese. I’m not from that culture. So I’m questioning whether this is still inappropriate, even if the intention is to empower smaller brands and create access.
Would this feel wrong to you?
Does intention matter here?
Would donating a portion of proceeds to Japanese cultural organisations or farming communities make a difference — or would that feel like a band-aid?
I really want honest feedback before I move forward. Thank you!
by lovestodance1234