Since graduating from Diamond Bar High School in 2012, Grace Cheng has led the life of a hustling model, health advocate, and most recently, an entrepreneur.  Drawing from her years at USC and life as an international model, Cheng was inspired to share her own recipe for the meal that stuck with her from start to finish—oatmeal.

“For almost a decade, oatmeal has been my warm, good-morning hug and daily dose of energy to jump-start my day,” Cheng stated on her website, mylklabs.com. “Up until this day, I’m still eating the same ol’ oatmeal every day, and I wanted to share that feeling of warmth, energy and deliciousness with the world.”

Cheng has been stoking the flames of her ambitions from a young age, with a lifelong goal of starting her own business.  

“I knew passion was important and it wasn’t until after I made myself oatmeal in Ziploc baggies while traveling for years that I thought, ‘You know what, the world needs this and I’m going to make it for them,’” she said.

Although cherishing the memories she made in high school, Cheng believes that her experience did not really impact who she has become, and that one can change oneself even after high school.

“I was a very different person in high school,” she said.  “I had some of the best memories of my life as a teenager at DBHS because you’re young, dumb, and without a care in the world. Maybe I got it all out of me when I was young, but once I hit college, it was nothing but work and school with my future in mind.”

With that drive, Cheng was able to construct and structure Mylk Labs around “Flavor, Nutrition and Convenience.”  On top of offering a healthy, on-the-go meal for her customers, Cheng’s oatmeal also supports her suppliers and their growers and subsequently benefits the environment.

With upcycled sourcing, glyphosate-free oats, coconut sugar and compostable packaging, Mylk Labs is able to create a cycle of production, distribution and consumption that is favorable for all the parties involved.

“There are different ways you can source your ingredients but I personally like to do it myself so I can build relationships and keep a close eye on my supply chain,” she said via email. 

Cheng also explained how this process wasn’t always smooth sailing.  In fact, it was one of her earliest and biggest failures.

“Not choosing the right copacker [was] my most painful lesson,” she said. “A copacker is an extension of your business and they are in charge of the quality of your product. I felt like I took a shortcut and chose to trust a manufacturer that didn’t meet the highest of expectations. I want to be proud of everything I put out. If not, I can’t feel good about what I do.”