2020

Melbourne Crop

Contact

Rob Blum & Fern Ho

@theleafprotein

The Leaf Protein Co

High-protein powder made from Pereskia Aculeata plant

Ever heard of Pereskia leaf? Neither had we until Leaf Protein Co. changed all that.

From the Pereskia tree, native to South America, the leaf is a highly nutritious source of protein and is the key ingredient to the products being developed by Rob Blum and Fern Ho, co-founders of Leaf Protein Co.

Brazilian-born Rob, still in Sao Paolo due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is an engineer by training and has previously worked in finance and investment funds.

He grew up on a small hobby farm in Brazil - so, an awareness of the importance of working with the seasons and quality produce was instilled at a very young  age -  but it was but it was while completely his Master’s in Engineering on an exchange program in France that his passion for food was reignited. This set the foundation for what is now, Leaf Protein Co.

His love of good food, nutrition and his passion for environmental issues came together when he explored the adaptability of the Pereskia leaf and its possibilities. They seem limitless as it can be made into a powder, a gel and a fermented product.

Rob sought a co-founder and met Fern Ho in a very 2020 way; a Zoom business conference. Fern - also with a background in engineering and studies in digital marketing and product management - was the balance he was needing to help expand the reach of Leaf Protein Co.

The pair collaborate with retired scientist - New Zealand-based Rod McDonald as Research Advisor - and are working on developing Pereskia-based products that are nutritious, good for the planet and delicious. That sounds like a win-win-win to us.