Melbourne business founder steps forward amid growing push for women-led startups

Evangeline Tee is among a new generation of female founders stepping into leadership roles in Victoria’s startup landscape as she prepares to launch a new ethical spice brand of her own.

Ms Tee is the founder “Aunty Jenny” – a Melbourne CBD based spice business focused on ethical sourcing and direct trade that aims to provide fresh spices that don’t sacrifice quality for price.

When asked about the inspiration behind the venture, she credited her mother, who “can’t take hotness” in her food.

“My mum was visiting, and we opened up the pantry to cook her something, but there was nothing in there she could have,” Ms Tee told CBD News.

“She loves food, but we had no products that made the distinction between chilli, which is heat level, and spicy, which brings this strong flavour to food.”

Searching for high-quality, affordable products that made this distinction, and catering to her mother’s sensibilities to pesticides, proved a “real struggle”.

So, Aunty Jenny was born: a spice company named after Ms Tee’s mother who kickstarted the whole idea.

The brand aims to streamline supply chains by “cutting the middleman and bringing fresh from farm” spices from India and Malaysia to Australia, ensuring farmers are paid fairly while lowering prices for the Australian consumer.

The move comes as recent data highlights persistent gender disparities in Australia’s startup ecosystem. A 2024 survey by SBE Australia found that just 23 per cent of startup founders are women, with even fewer represented in supply chain and agriculture-related industries.

“It’s not just about launching a business – it’s about being counted,” Ms Tee said. “There’s still a gap when it comes to visibility and support for women at the early stage.”

Ms Tee’s background spans multiple countries. Born in Malysia, she went to an American international school in China.

From there, she went on the study fashion in Scotland, which led her to work for a company which made hats for the royal family.

Ms Tee ended up in Australia when she decided to pursue a psychology degree at the University of Melbourne, a city that she now calls home.

Reflecting on her professional history, she noted that many of her past roles had been in a support capacity.

“I would have enjoyed my life if this had never changed, but I felt like I could do more.”

She sat down and had a “tough conversation” with herself, with the result being a determination to step out from behind the scenes and into the limelight of the entrepreneurship world.

“I thought, look, I can stay in my support role and if it’s not quite turning up like we expected it will never be fully on me, or I could push myself to take that extra responsibility – take that power.”

Aunty Jenny is about more than just personal growth for Ms Tee, who hopes the company can serve as a symbol for what’s possible through hard work and dedication to a project, regardless of background.

“You don’t have to be that typical entrepreneur woman with a fresh cut and a tailored suit to go about informing your own life” she said, adding that, for a very long time, she felt trapped in a stereotypical understanding of what she could or could not do.

“I thought I can’t do this because I wasn’t born a man, or I wasn’t born this way or that. I decided to stop playing into that,” she said.

“I show up, I work hard. I take control of my life.”

When asked how she cultivated this attitude, she said it was born from the “darkest” period of her life.

“There was a time period where I was really struggling. I hit the bottom, and it was actually very freeing.”

“At that moment, it was like an invitation to do whatever the hell I wanted. I decided to just get on with it.”

This attitude eventually translated into providing her with the confidence to establish her own company, something she is “very excited” for. Now, Ms Tee hopes to encourage others, especially women, to push themselves outside their comfort zone by providing a role model in a landscape where diversity is lacking.

Regardless of these ambitions, Ms Tee’s mother remains at the heart of her business, which she hopes to be able to use to “support my mother fully.”

“We’re all in charge of our own life,” she said. “We should all be encouraging each other to be our best.”