CYstarters Spotlight: A 16-part series highlighting student entrepreneurs pursuing their business ventures as part of the CYstarters 2026 summer cohort. Through this program, students have the unique opportunity to prioritize the development of their own startup or business idea. Each individual receives $6,500 and access to resources such as mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational sessions on entrepreneurship and business startup. Learn more and meet our 17 entrepreneurs at Demo Day on Thursday, July 30. Register today!
Brandon Och Garland is a junior in Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business majoring in marketing while earning a professional certificate in sales. Through his startup, Och Wellness, he’s working to bring Eastern traditional herbal medicine to modern consumers by offering herbal supplements made from generations-old family formulas.
Brandon was born in Evanston, Illinois and raised in Bartlett, Illinois where he was surrounded by people from many different backgrounds. He credits those experiences with shaping him into the caring and honest person he is today. Growing up, he played soccer for years and formed friendships that remain some of his closest today.
Entrepreneurship has also been part of his life for years. In high school, he built a TikTok account with more than 40,000 followers that he grew by sharing Amazon coupon codes. While he has experience in e-commerce, Och Wellness has given him the opportunity to build a brand centered on something more meaningful.
“I’ve discovered I really want to help people live happier, healthier lives, and genuinely, through my business, I will be able to help people spend more time with friends and family that they love most,” he said.
The inspiration for Och Wellness began decades before Brandon even entered college. In the 1970s, his grandmother, Tungalag Dugarjav, returned to the traditional Mongolian and Tibetan herbal formulas her family had practiced for generations. She worked with the Institute of Traditional Medicine, becoming known as both a teacher and a healer. She opened an apothecary in Poland and later brought her work to Chicago through ONCH-USA in 1992, earning the trust of patients through one-on-one care.
“When I brought the idea back to modernize and relaunch this, my grandma’s eyes lit up,” he said. “It’s such a blessing to be able to use all of her formulas and bring back starting the business again.”
Today, Brandon is adapting those traditional formulas for a modern marketplace. While the herbs are still imported from Mongolia in their raw form, he works with a private label manufacturer to produce the supplements at a larger scale while staying true to the original recipes.
The company focuses on transparency, using naturally sourced ingredients instead of synthetic alternatives. Brandon believes there is room in the market for affordable herbal supplements that give people another option for improving their health.
His family has played an important role throughout the process. Brandon recently had the opportunity to learn firsthand how the formulas are created, watching raw herbs be processed and combined into the blends his family has relied on for years.
“Seeing these raw herbs being broken down, grinded, combined in a certain way to make sure that they work, it’s been really cool,” Brandon said.
His parents have also been his biggest supporters.
“There’s been a lot of times throughout this adventure where I felt isolated, where I felt lonely, and they always reassured me that I’m meant to do this,” Brandon said.
Brandon’s journey with the Pappajohn Center began after Teaching Professor Michael Bootsma encouraged him to get involved with CYstarters while he was enrolled in business law in the spring semester. Since joining the program, he’s appreciated the opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs and mentors while strengthening every aspect of his business.
“I’m so grateful to be given the opportunity to speak with mentors, speak with educators, speak with businesspeople, because I like to be a sponge to all the new information that I’m given here every single day, and use it for the best,” he said.
He’s expanded his understanding of topics such as website development, landing pages, and digital marketing. Beyond business skills, CYstarters has changed the way Brandon sees himself as an entrepreneur.
“It’s taught me that sometimes you have to let go of your old self in order to leave room for your new self,” he said. Brandon wouldn’t consider his old self an entrepreneur, but he learned to embrace the journey and work towards building something special and achieving his new dream.
Brandon hopes to launch Och Wellness later this summer with a fully developed website and inventory ready to ship. He’s also planning to partner with ambassadors and affiliates to build a social media presence and introduce the brand to new audiences.
The next milestone, he said, is bringing everything together—from business licensing and labeling to branding and manufacturing.
“Once I get all these things done in the next month or so, I believe that I will be able to start marketing the business to the modern consumers group I want to serve,” he said. “That launch is going to be something really special for me, my family, and the collective experience.”
For other students interested in entrepreneurship, Brandon encourages them to stay disciplined and committed to their goals.
“As long as they put their conscious effort, their motivation, their discipline in the right spaces at the right times, I truly believe that anybody can grow their business, aspiring into fruition.”
He also hopes that people approach herbal wellness with an open mind.
“What I would just want to say to the community is trust everything that comes from this earth,” he said. “Everything that we need is here, and the formulations that we use are only natural herbs that function with itself, so as long as you can trust yourself, your intuition and trust that these will work, they’re going to work for you.”
Learn more about Och Wellness at ochwellness.com or follow the company on Instagram @ochwellness_, TikTok @ochwellness and Facebook at Och Wellness.
Check out our video interview with Brandon Och Garland below!
