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Narin Tipsrisukond

Narin Tipsrisukond

By Sara Muri, AgJ '07

"During my life, I want to teach how to become a better person," Narin Tipsrisukond says. "It's my philosophy."

Serving as a CAFNR Connections Mentor is helping Tipsrisukond fulfill his life's dream.

When Tipsrisukond was 20 years old, he completed an internship in Denmark. "They chose to send me all the way to Denmark. I spent around four months milking dairy cows." He stayed with a family and helped milk the 60-cow herd. Tipsrisukond says this was a turning point in his life. "It made me realize to see the world," he says. "I knew I needed to open my eyes and further my education elsewhere."

Tipsrisukond is originally from Thailand. He found his way to Columbia through a cooperating university program between the Prince of Songkla University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in animal science, and the University of Missouri. He enrolled at MU in 1995.

Originally, he wanted to enroll in veterinary school. However, his plans changed quickly after arriving in Columbia. "There are a lot of restrictions to get into that program," he says. He then considered pursing an animal sciences degree. He then changed his mind again, settling on food science and earning his doctoral degree in 2003.

Tipsrisukond enjoyed his years at MU. "Columbia is a nice and quiet town," he says. "I come from a place with 8 million people." He says he really enjoyed the diversity of the people. "I was able to make friends from Thailand along with people from all over the world."

While in college, Tipsrisukond was involved in the Thai Student Association. He also worked in the Agricultural Experiment Station Chemical Laboratory (AESCL) as a research specialist for three years while he was finishing his dissertation.

Bette Rudel, a chemist at MU, worked with Tipsrisukond during his time at the AESCL. She always was impressed by his work habits and caring personality. "He would give his time to work with anyone and make sure they understood concepts before they were consumed by a project," she says. "He is not pushy, but very patient with people and will give anyone a chance to do things." Rudel says Tipsrisukond was almost like a son to her during his years at MU.

Tipsrisukond always had planned on returning to Thailand after he received his degree. "I wanted to go back and become a professor," he says. However, after graduating, a college friend asked Tipsrisukond if he would be interested in joining his new business venture. "He asked me if I would like to come to Kansas City and work with him. I said, 'OK, sounds good.'"

In August 2004, Tipsrisukond began working for BioSyntropy Solutions. The small business, located snuggly in a tiny building on Ninth Street, is involved with complex technology that originated in Japan. "We grow naturally occurring, beneficial microorganisms," explains Tipsrisukond. These include yeast used in beer, and lactic acid bacteria used in cheese and yogurt production.

"Our main focus is in agriculture," he says. The animal, plant, waste treatment and human health industries use the technology. "We modify the processes to adapt for the different industries." Tipsrisukond says the company's main focus is being earth-friendly. He says that modern society has disrupted the natural ecology of the world. "We try to create something to bring back the balance of nature."

BioSyntropy Solutions has a sister company, which is called Sustainable Community Development, or "SCD" for short. The company has a retail line, but it also sells in bulk to companies. The retail line involves selling products for environmentally conscious people, such as composting systems.

"We focus more on the industrial client side," he says. Currently, the company is the only manufacturer of its kind in the U.S., which gives Tipsrisukond hope for the future. "The company is new," he says. "There are lots of opportunities for growth."

Tipsrisukond's major roles at BioSyntropy Solutions include research, quality control and production, and his official title is senior manager of research and quality control. "My work can be fairly challenging," he says. "I like it, but it can be difficult."

Janel Wade-Jacobs is one of Tipsrisukond's co-workers at BioSyntropy Solutions. She says he has served as her mentor for nearly two years. "There are two things which I really admire about him," she says. "He has a really unique way of relating to people and he is really intelligent." She says that if she asks him a question, he will know the answer. She further explains her respect for him is due to his caring personality. "He is very giving with his time," Wade-Jacobs says. "He gets along with everyone here and always treats me like an equal."

Tipsrisukond's worldly and diverse experiences are what he hopes to share with current CAFNR students. "I would advise students to keep their eyes open," he says. "Don't stick to what the book tells you." He further advises students to participate in extracurricular activities to develop social skills.

In addition, Tipsrisukond stresses the importance of building a good resume. "You need to do good in school," he says. Tipsrisukond says he did not do well in high school but was lucky he did well enough to qualify for college. He says he took his college education very seriously. He also advises, "Go to class everyday, don't skip."

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