AS Kuhanesapathy Thavaras Pathy (better known as Kuhan Pathy) sat on a desolate stretch of road amidst the stark wilderness of Mount Kailash, Tibet in 2014, the vastness of the landscape weighed heavily on him.
Surrounded by the bleak, barren expanse, he was struck by his own insignificance — just a drop in the ocean of existence. In this remote outpost, he sought clarity and purpose, grappling with questions about his role in the world: "In such a vast world, am I content to remain just a drop? What's my true contribution?"
That journey to the Himalayas sparked something deep inside Kuhan and set him on a path of helping others. "It was one of the moments that transformed me," he says, smiling gently.
There was no turning back for the engineer who dared to dream beyond the ordinary. Driven by a passion for change, he co-founded Pepper Labs, an organisation committed to transforming lives through long-term economic empowerment and inclusive growth.
Since 2015, their Skills and Development Training Programme (STDP) has been a game-changer, equipping over 500 individuals from underserved communities with the skills needed to reshape their futures.
Pepper Labs extends its mission through its innovative cloud kitchen, a space that offers a fresh start for those facing economic challenges. By creating jobs and addressing food security, they've positively impacted over 1,000 lives, fostering resilience and paving the way for personal growth. With five kitchens already established, they're set to expand further, with plans to launch at least 20 digital kitchens in other communities.
One of their most inspiring ventures is Masala Wheels, Malaysia's first food truck business dedicated to empowering marginalised communities. More than just serving food, it's about changing lives. Masala Wheels provides hands-on training in the F&B industry, teaching individuals how to manage and operate food trucks while offering professional catering services.
"Pepper Labs isn't just changing lives… it's rewriting what it means to give back, one meal, one skill and one future at a time," he says, smiling.
EARLY MEMORIES
Giving back holds deep meaning for Kuhan, a Kepong native who grew up with a modest upbringing. "My father, a Bahasa Malaysia teacher for over 40 years, has always gone the extra mile, especially for students from poor backgrounds," he shares. "Even in his 70s, his passion for teaching hasn't waned." Kuhan's mother, a retired nurse, dedicated herself to raising him and his two siblings.
From a young age, he understood that education was the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. "There were times we struggled to put food on the table, but my parents always emphasised that education could lift us out of our circumstances," he shares, adding: "I remember those tough days vividly and know what it feels like to have nothing."
Kuhan, who scored straight A1s in his SPM, wasn't only an academic high-flyer, but also the head prefect of SMK Taman Bukit Maluri in Kuala Lumpur. Initially, he dreamt of becoming a doctor, but life had other plans.
When offered a prestigious Petronas scholarship to study chemical engineering, he made a choice to let go of his dream. "I decided to take it up instead of pursuing medicine," he explains, adding: "I didn't want to drain my parents' savings. At least with the scholarship, I could go to university and make them proud!"
With a scholarship in hand, he enrolled at Universiti Teknologi Petronas to pursue a degree in chemical engineering. He went on to graduate with top honours, earning the prestigious Chancellor's Award from the university.
After securing a job, the young man encountered marginalised communities that opened his eyes to the harsh realities of poverty. "For the first time, I saw communities far worse off than anything I'd experienced," he recalls.
Continuing, he admits: "That was also a turning point for me. I was so eager to help these Sri Lankan refugee children, but the only available subject was C++ programming — a topic I knew nothing about!"
Undeterred, he dedicated countless nights to teaching himself programming. With his newfound skills, he approached the temple in Brickfields, which was hosting refugees and providing education to underserved children, and offered to share his knowledge. Over the following years, the newly minted engineer volunteered as a programming teacher for these refugee children.
MASALA WHEELS
While Kuhan and a few of his friends managed to escape the cycle of poverty through education and sheer determination, many in their community weren't as fortunate. They remained ensnared by hardship, trapped in a cycle that seemed impossible to break.
"It wasn't their fault," Kuhan says softly. "Being poor is hard enough, but when all you have are odd jobs to scrape by, with no prospects or future, it's no surprise that so many at-risk youths from my community — and others like them — end up in petty crime or stuck in the same vicious cycle of poverty."
The grim reality hit close to home when one of Kuhan's closest friends became entangled in a brutal gang fight. His wrist was slashed, leaving his parents desperately ferrying him from one hospital to another, pleading for someone to treat and stitch him up.
Amid the chaos, a moment stuck with Kuhan forever. His friend's mother, overwhelmed and on the verge of tears, turned to him and said: "Look at us, going from place to place. And look at you… you've managed to break out of this cycle. But what can you do for him, still trapped in it?"
"That question haunted me," the father-of-two recalls.
Determined to find a way to help, Kuhan and his friends — Kumaresh Pathy, Ravindran Subramaniam, Dinesh Pandian, Thanaselan Rajendran and Rubaneswaran Thevasenabathy — found themselves seated at a mamak stall under a sprawling tree in Taman Bukit Maluri, brainstorming over teh tarik. They turned to their injured friend, asking bluntly: "What do you know? What are you good at?"
Without hesitation, the friend answered: "I know food. I can cook."
That was all they needed to hear. Pooling their savings, they scraped together RM15,000 — every sen they could spare. "We bought the ugliest van you could find on Mudah.com!" Kuhan says, laughing.
Continuing, he shares: "It looked more like a pasar malam van than anything else. But it was a start. We thought, why not a food truck? It wouldn't need as much capital and it could be the beginning of something bigger."
That battered van became a symbol of hope — not just for their friend, but also for their entire community. "People kept asking, 'Why Indians? Why start this venture in Sungai Buloh?'" Kuhan recalls.
His answer was straightforward. "This is where the at-risk youths were," he says bluntly. "The highest population of at-risk youths in the area were Indians. It was that simple."
Food became a unifying force — a way to bring meaningful change to the lives of at-risk youths. Kuhan and his friends met with parents, urging them to let their children join the initiative.
"Tell them to come to the truck after school hours and work there," they said. By day, they sold food, by night they gave meals to the homeless.
"We realised we could solve problems by generating income while giving these youths a sense of purpose and hope for others," he says.
"We believed that if we could help him turn his life around, he could become a mentor to other young people, showing them that change was possible," Kuhan explains.
What began as a simple favour for a friend quickly snowballed into something far greater than Kuhan ever imagined. The ripple effect was undeniable. Starting with a single food truck and one troubled youth, Masala Wheels evolved into a thriving movement, offering not just jobs, but also hope and a renewed sense of purpose to those in need.
"We started seeing more and more parents sending their at-risk children to help out at the truck," the 35-year-old recalls, adding: "That truck literally became a vehicle for change."
Realising the potential to create a broader impact, Kuhan and his friends established Pepper Labs, a social enterprise dedicated to driving social change through sustainable economic empowerment and inclusive growth. Masala Wheels became their flagship project, setting the tone for what would become a beacon of transformation for communities in need.
Their efforts didn't go unnoticed. In 2016, Masala Wheels received a nod of approval from none other than former United States president Barack Obama, who recognised their mission to uplift school dropouts and youths involved in gangsterism, paving the way for better livelihoods and second chances.
Since its humble beginnings in 2015, the initiative has grown into a thriving movement. By 2017, it expanded to include an outlet in Petaling Jaya, offering Indian and Sri Lankan food through trucks, a cafe, catering services and even its own product line — all aimed at empowering disadvantaged youths.
To date, it has impacted over 350 beneficiaries, providing not just jobs, but also a pathway to a brighter future. "For many at-risk youths, it became a halfway home," Kuhan shares. Despite the challenges they faced while navigating their way out of difficult circumstances, it became a space for true transformation.
Adds Kuhan with a smile: "The best part? The troubled youth who was first entrusted with Masala Wheels is now the proud owner of the business in Petaling Jaya and he's running it successfully to this day."
CLOUD KITCHENS
The success of Masala Wheels and the transformative impact it had on at-risk youths prompted Kuhan and his team at Pepper Labs to take a step back and examine the bigger picture. Where was this problem truly rooted?
"The answer," Kuhan explains, "lay in the families and households these youths came from. The economic struggles of their families were creating the conditions that put these young people at risk."
This realisation shifted their focus from addressing the symptoms to tackling the root cause, sparking a broader mission to break the cycle of poverty and provide long-term solutions for struggling communities.
From 2021 onwards, Pepper Labs expanded its efforts into People's Housing Programme Project (PPR) areas, reaching some of the most underserved communities in the country.
"We realised that in many PPR communities, it's the women who hold the key to driving change," Kuhan reflects, adding: "So, we began with home-based kitchen projects to help them launch small food businesses from their own kitchens."
These projects soon transitioned into community kitchens and evolved into Dapur Digital, an innovative cloud-kitchen programme. Designed to empower B40 women micro-entrepreneurs, it provides culinary training, business management skills and digital marketing expertise — equipping them to thrive in the online food economy while uplifting their households and communities.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Finance Ministry, the Federal Territories Ministry, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Yayasan Hasanah, Pepper Labs established five cloud kitchens this year.
These facilities serve as a lifeline for marginalised women entrepreneurs, offering hands-on training and the tools they need to build sustainable livelihoods while fostering economic empowerment at the grassroots level.
This year, the initiative reached a significant milestone, achieving a cumulative revenue of RM100,000 across all five kitchens. "One hundred per cent of the profits went directly to these women entrepreneurs," Kuhan shares proudly.
Buoyed by the success, the 2025 Budget included the announcement of plans to establish 20 more cloud kitchens in underserved communities across the country. This expansion aims to replicate the impactful model, empowering even more women entrepreneurs and fostering sustainable economic growth in areas that need it the most.
The work continues relentlessly, and Kuhan has no intention of slowing down. "We've always drawn inspiration from the changes we see in people. As long as lives are improving and people are leading better futures, that's what keeps us… keeps me going."
One of the most touching moments for him happened recently while having breakfast in Brickfields. A young girl came running toward him, beaming with joy and shouting, "Annei! Annei!"
She was one of the youths who'd been supported through Masala Wheels. "She told me she'd just gotten a job and had bought her first car for her family," Kuhan recalls, voice filled with pride, adding: "It's tiring, but moments like this can be so rewarding. They remember you because you've truly changed their lives."
What started as a solitary quest for meaning in the shadow of the Himalayas has blossomed into a life devoted to empowering others. The vastness of the landscape that once made him feel insignificant now mirrors the vastness of the impact he's creating. "I may just be a drop in the ocean," he concludes, adding: "but even a drop can create ripples that change the world."