Creating Aroi Mango: From a corporate career to street food

After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from Lehigh, George Awad, ‘22, ‘26G, entered the workforce, taking on several corporate roles. But it wasn’t until a solo backpacking trip that he discovered his true passion. 

Despite being offered a raise in his post-graduation marketing job, Awad made a bold decision — he quit and set off on a global adventure.  

During the three-month trip, he fell in love with street food and formed meaningful connections with people around the world. 

“It was during my 10-day silence retreat where I had no phone and was just meditating,” Awad said. “I had a vision of a line of people waiting for me on a street food vendor and just waiting to be served food from a pop-up that I have. So, I just wanted to push and explore that.”

Awad said he’s an explorer in every sense of the word — whether he’s navigating the bustling streets of Asia, unraveling the mysteries of quantum mechanics, or delving into the complexities of business models and supply chains. 

He tacked on another area of exploration after his trip, when he began brainstorming how to merge his two passions — food and people — into a career, and Aroi Mango was born. 

In June 2024, Awad hosted his first pop-up event at Jay’s Local and was thrilled to join the vibrant community of small businesses in the Lehigh Valley. 

He then drafted a rough business plan and, despite initial doubts about his qualifications, entered the StartUp Lehigh Valley competition.

Presented by Lehigh, the pitch competition gives entrepreneurs the chance to showcase their startup ideas to a panel of judges for the opportunity to win up to $24,000 in funding to support their businesses, according to the StartUp Lehigh Valley’s website. 

After presenting his refined pitch to a panel of judges, he was awarded the grand prize. This allowed him to take initiative and get Aroi Mango up and running. 

Today, his business operates as a mobile catering business serving authentic-style mango sticky rice, inspired by the popular street food sold across Asia. 

In the past year, Awad said Aroi Mango has appeared at more than 60 pop-up events and farmers markets across the Lehigh Valley. 

By regularly asking attendees if they ever tried the mango sticky rice before, Awad said he was able to estimate that roughly 900 people experienced the dish for the first time through these events.

Awad said his journey has been far from a solo effort. 

He credits his mother for supporting his decision to quit his corporate job and for being a tremendous help in preparing for and attending events. 

“Without my parents, I wouldn’t have been able to start the kitchen, especially my mom,” Awad said. “She’s been phenomenal at every step of the way, even to this date, at as many pop-ups as she could make. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to do it.” 

He also encouraged Lehigh students to remember starting a business is possible — as long as they’re willing to put themselves out there. 

“The magic of it is when you come from something that you didn’t study, your mind doesn’t run like a computer,” Awad said. “Sometimes, you put yourself inside a box, and you can’t get out of it, but you can challenge it.” 

He said his next steps include testing more business models to explore franchising and storefront opportunities.

He also plans to continue his education in Lehigh’s technical entrepreneurship graduate program, which he said he sees as an invaluable resource for sharpening his business skills. 

According to the program’s website, the technical entrepreneurship program offers a cutting-edge interdisciplinary approach to solving complex problems through engineering, science, business and design.

During Awad’s studies, he met Michael Lehman, professor and faculty director of the program. He said Lehman became a mentor and helped him refine his pitch for the StartUp Lehigh Valley competition. 

Lehman said Awad’s ability to connect with people and his understanding of the technical aspects of entrepreneurship make him different from other business owners. 

“George enjoys physics,” Lehman said. “He enjoys products and business models, too. But at the end of the day, he enjoys interacting with his customers, and I think that’s what sets him apart.” 

The Lehigh Entrepreneur Club invited Awad to speak to its undergraduate members about his experience in starting a business on March 25 as part of its speakers series.

After asking attendees to think of one word to describe themselves, Awad offered his biggest piece of advice — establish your “why.”

He said establishing one’s “why” means understanding what drives them and why they’re interested in the things they’re pursuing. Once people grasp that, he said they should build their business models around that motivation. 

“You’ll have super bad days, and you’ll feel down,” Awad said. “But by knowing your ‘why,’ you can really push yourself to achieve and work with your business.” 

Atang Bakwena, ‘27, vice president of external relations for the Lehigh Entrepreneurship Club, said she resonated most with Awad’s advice to change your mindset and remain confident.  

While Bakwena said she’s trained extensively in public speaking, the key to her success has been shifting her mindset, like Awad suggested, to believe people genuinely want to see her succeed.

“People want what’s best for you, and they want you to succeed, especially in this contributory space,” she said.

Awad is a regular vendor at the Bethlehem Farmers’ Market in Farrington Square. He, along with the market, will return to Lehigh’s campus on April 24