Courtney Huang

I was raised in Queens, New York, in a family that operated a small Chinese restaurant. From an early age, I assisted with bookkeeping and translation after school, which developed my practical mindset and early exposure to business operations.My interest in science began in middle school when I joined the school science club. At age 13, I conducted a science fair experiment on plant volatile extraction, which sparked a lasting curiosity about botanical aromas and natural compounds.I later pursued a Chemical Engineering degree at Stony Brook University, with a minor in International Trade. During my studies, I worked in a laboratory focusing on plant essential oil distillation and completed an internship with a natural essential oil producer in California.My senior thesis explored global price disparities in botanical extraction supply chains, comparing production costs in France and Bulgaria with downstream pricing structures in the United States.After graduating in 2000, I entered the global fragrance and flavor industry at a multinational fragrance company in New York. Over the following years, I worked across raw material analysis, procurement coordination, and international supplier relations.Through extensive travel to major botanical sourcing regions such as Grasse, France, and the Bulgarian Rose Valley, I developed deep experience in:• botanical raw material sourcing• global fragrance ingredient supply chains• supplier development and negotiation• customs and international trade logistics• natural extract grading and quality evaluationMy work bridges science, sourcing, and global trade, combining a technical understanding of plant-based materials with practical experience in international supply chains.