The wonderfully talented people in our organization come together from all around the planet to create HairZing. Our teams are based in the United States, Asia and Africa. Each team has different strengths and creativity so if you are interested in who does what, read on...
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Francesca Kuglen
This is the third company I have launched. The first was sold in 1995 to a larger company, which is where I met Holli who was an executive there. The second still successfully creates and markets products in different categories. However, it is this third venture that "feels" so different than the other two ever did. Perhaps I am not afraid anymore. Perhaps it's because I am growing up or am in my fabulous forties. All I know is that I love business and see it (and education) as two great equalizers in the world. Business can be a force for good, and I am going to explore this more this time around…as one of my great friends says, "Strap yourself in and keep your hands inside the ride..."
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Francesa Kuglen’s Executive Bio.Holli Montgomery
My real name is Holliday, but, while taking introductory High School Spanish, I was traumatized when they translated my name as "Fiesta." So, I really prefer to be called Holli. Francesca and I are partners in this grand adventure!
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Holliday Montgomery’s Executive Bio.
Holden Penley Holden Penley is our Marketing and Advertising Director. Additionally, he ensures all our customers have the answers they need. After earning
his degree at Georgetown University, he has dabbled in many arenas. His professional career has involved dancing around in the ranks of a major Talent Agency and working as a Media Buyer. Now that he is landed at HairZing, we will put all his life experiences to the test. His hobbies include writing music, taking pictures of himself on boats, wearing hip striped sweater, and drinking way too much coffee.
ur company is founded on the belief that business and education are two great equalizers. When used correctly, they increase the quality of life for everyone they touch.
One of our goals is to bring business opportunities to women, especially in areas that have limited resources and support. The second goal is as to ensure that girls in these regions receive education.
You change the world one girl at a time….
ZING TEAM AFRICA
After nearly a year of preparation, training, and travel we anticipate launching our first Maasai Collection in Summer 2007. It is produced by the women of the Maasai tribe in Kenya.
HISTORY: We approached the Maasai women in Kenya because of their legendary beading expertise. Beading is a traditional art form practiced ONLY by women in the tribe.
Our Promise: Was to provide marketing and management experience to help them grow and establish their company if they began a business that was fully owned and operated by Maasai women. Teaching them sound business practices ensures they will be able to build other small companies on their own.
Women's Collective: The women have responded enthusiastically, launching "Olorien" which means "Olive Tree." Production is currently underway and nearly 100 women are involved on the Hairzing project, with more waiting to begin when demand increases.
We will write about many of these women on our web site as the year progresses.
Understanding the Maasai: The Maasai are pastoral, proud of their abilities to be self-sustaining. They have tended cattle and goats for centuries, but as politics, poverty, war, disease and drought change the face of Africa, the Maasai are challenged to maintain their culture and sustain themselves independently. One way of doing so is by creating cottage industries and small businesses that allow them to live on their ancestral lands rather than moving to the cities.
Challenges: The challenges are daunting. Electricity and running water are luxuries. Women often walk up to eight hours to locate well water for their families. Job opportunities for women are scarce. Girls are just beginning to enjoy education, but it is expensive because public schools do not exist in Kenya. Female circumcision is still practiced, and the opportunity for women to run their own businesses is non-existent.
Dignified work, flexible work schedules and the ability to earn fair wages are key elements to the Maasai's continued growth and independence.
FUTURE TEAMS: We believe poverty has no nationality, race, or religion---but we know wherever you find poverty you will find women and their children.
We are currently looking at areas within the United States and around the world that could also become "Team Zing" regions. Please
E-mail us with any ideas or suggestions you might have.
ZING TEAM ASIA
Zachary Hany 
An American by birth, a global citizen by choice, Zachary is our Quality Control Guru. Living now in Shenzhen, he is responsible for creating sensational quality in every product. Zachary is part Technical Nerd (and we say that in a GOOD way), part Detail Dictator, and part Visionary Activist.
Although born in the United States, Zachary has traveled and lived all around the world. In fact during his lifetime, he has spent less than 6 full years in the USA. While in school he studied Chinese and now secretly enjoys the shocked expressions on people's faces when he opens his mouth and Mandarin (with an American accent) pours out. He is especially good at doing this in places where no one realizes he speaks Chinese…….after they have been conversing about personal details for an hour or so in Chinese…..
Eva Din 
Eva Din is a Chinese Nationalist who is a powerhouse living in Shenzhen, China. She is responsible for all aspects of running HairZing in Asia. She splits her 48-hour days between sourcing innovative and planet-friendly materials, making certain our shipments leave the country on time, and working to ensure the women who bead our products have the ability to stay at home with their children and work while staying close to their families, nurturing a household, not living in a factory.
Eva joined the Zing Team to put her entrepreneurial skills to the test.
The Workers
Providing working opportunities for women is fundamental to us. That goal is two-fold:
1) To create a system where women control where and when they work
2) Allowing women to work at home where they can grow with their children and families.
The current HairZings we create in China are produced quite differently from the traditional factory regime that exists for working women in Asia.In most of China, work is located in the cities, so women leave their families behind to live far away, usually in dormitories, on the factory site. Women with children who choose not to leave for the city have extremely limited opportunities for securing income. Our goal is that women won't have to choose between being with their families or earning money. Their incomes directly help their children's lives, and so does their presence.
As an alternative, we teamed up with a husband and wife in rural China who have been willing to join us in this adventure. They are working with us to ensure the success of this business model; finding, educating and rewarding women in this rural region.
We believe products CAN be made ethically. Sure it's more challenging… but by using our HairZings, we are saving the time we used to spend fussing with our hair, so we HAVE time to spend on more worthwhile projects…..
Zango Creative is a talented group of "techies" from Seattle, WA. Our fabulous team includes:
- Michelle Drewien, Creative Director
- Vinny McKee, Web Developer
- Colleen Lynn, Graphic Designer
- Josh Tuininga, Flash Designer
- David Bennet, Quality Assurance
Linda Howard, wife of Emmy Winner Ken Howard, loves her HairZings and we love their work!
