For Coney Pulla, his college life did not begin or end the way he had planned it. Out of a self-proclaimed passion to do good for others and the environment, he co-founded Rice Love, a company designed to help others around the world. Pulla said he attended the BYU–Hawaii Asian Pacific Career Conference in March in hopes to encourage more students to serve others and share his experience with them.
The fight to end global hunger
Born and raised in Hyderabad, India, Pulla said his home country of India has much to offer the world. “[India] can offer a way to keep ourselves happy. It teaches people to believe in themselves, live in the means of whatever one earns. It also helps the world know that no matter how big your earnings are, you need to live life to the fullest with your family."
Out of this love for family and others, Pulla was inspired to start Rice Love. He said he created Rice Love with “a friend on campus where I worked. He had an idea and I had a strong connection back home for manufacturing and desire to help.
“His idea was to repurpose rice jute bags into backpacks and other products. We would sell them in the USA, and for every product sold, we would give away one kilogram of rice to a family in need.”
With an idea in place, Pulla and his partner needed money to start their business. He and his business partner decided to compete in the 2014 Empower Your Dreams competition in the social category.
“We won the first prize with an award of $5,000. Using that money we started our business,” Pulla shared. “The first year we made $45,000, second year $280,000 and then third year we are projecting to make $1.7 million.
“Since the company has started, we have given away more than 40 tons of rice, fed over 1,600 families with 25 kilos of rice and helped more than 1,000 families with their children’s schooling and health insurance.
“We are committed to showing you the proof,” he continued. “Every item comes with a unique tag number that can be used to find the photo and story of the family that you have fed. When you buy our bags, you are raising your hand in support in the fight to end global hunger and improve the planet.”
Corbin Thomander, an alumnus who graduated from BYUH in 2002, co-founded Rice Love with Pulla. Working in various staff positions at BYUH between 2012 and 2014, he knew he wanted to hire Pulla at the BYUH Bookstore because of he could be both friendly and professional.
Thomander said, “As I got to know Coney, we really got along well. We had a special connection. I really wanted him to see the opportunities that awaited him back in India. I knew he could have a tremendous impact there.
“One day, he decided to enter the business plan competition. He gave me his idea and asked for my thoughts. That’s when I told him about the concept for Rice Love. He loved it. He decided to focus on the concept of repurposing rice bags into tote bags and giving away rice for every item sold. We worked together on the project, he entered the business plan competition and won first place in the developing country category.
“We love all people and simply look for those who need it most. If there ever was a graduate that David O. McKay envisioned to help spread peace in India, it would be Coney Pulla.”
Listening to the heart
Pulla said he had never left his home country before going to the Missionary Training Center in the Philippines. After his two-year mission in Bangalore, India, he was left unsure of where to attend college. At the urging of his mission president, Pulla applied to BYUH and was accepted.
In a letter to President John Tanner, Pulla said when he got accepted, he “was so surprised that I couldn’t even concentrate at that time either to work or go study.”
His journey to BYUH was not as easy as his acceptance. Pulla applied for a visa three times and got rejected. In the same letter, he shared how “each rejection was a lesson to learn, and the fourth one was the most perfect interview I had ever had with anyone.”
The fourth try was a success, and Pulla was off to Hawaii.
Initially, adjusting to college in America was not easy,” Pulla said. “I tried computer science, coding and software. Stereotypes make it seem like something every Indian does. I attended one class and knew right away that it wasn't for me. “Later, I changed my major to business management and attended the class.
Again, I felt it wasn’t what I wanted. Then, one day, I attended a political science class. In the class, I learned college wasn’t just about getting a high-paying job. It was about making a positive impact on the world. I decided I wanted to find a way to make a positive impact in India.”
Pulla’s decision to switch his major to political science, he said, did not please those close to him. “I had so many people, including my father, who were disappointed that I wasn’t doing computer science. The only way I stuck to my choice was by listening to my heart and the passion that drove me towards serving God’s people.
“In addition to that, I always engraved BYUH’s motto in my heart - ‘Enter to learn, go forth to serve.’ That was engraved right in my heart and no matter what I did going forward, I made sure to gain intelligence and knowledge to bless the lives of others.”
The future of rice love
Rice Love has faced difficulties in India, he said, due to some workers being arrested under false charges. Pulla explained, “Some anti-Christian communities charged us of false accusation that we are giving in pretext of conversion. But we are just giving to others and not trying to convert anyone.”
Pulla is now living in his hometown of Hyderabad with his wife and children, overseeing the supply chain and charity aspects of Rice Love. “The future of Rice love is huge. We made from $200 to $2 million in sales in just three years. We are hoping to make a global change on hunger, doing it one bag and one meal at a time.
“We have given over 40,000 kilos of rice. There are an equal number of wanderers wearing our bags and sharing our story around the world. Our goal is to give 1 million kilos of rice by the end of 2020. We invite you to join the movement. Buy a bag. Feed a family.”
Amy Rawlings, a senior psychology major from California, is an employee of Rice Love. She said, “It feels so great to work for a company that’s making a difference in the world and helping people. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to go to India with Rice Love, and I got to meet and interact with many of the families we donated rice to - it was a life-changing experience. It helped me realize the work we are doing is actually meaningful and truly making a difference in the lives of real people.”
Speaking of Pulla and Thomander, Rawlings said, “Coney and Corbin are the kind of employers who are fun and laid-back but also expect a lot from you. Coney is a big-picture kind of guy. He has a lot of big ideas, but his go-and-get-it-done kind of attitude makes you believe that you can really make it happen.”
Pulla attended the APCC in March and talked about the company. He said he wants to share his personal story and let students know of the internship and employment opportunities available through Rice Love.
Writer: Elijah Hadley