Queens Tech Corner: B’ZT
It’s Queens Tech Corner time! The Queens Tech Corner is a regular segment on our Queens Chamber social media channels where we shine the spotlight on tech entrepreneurs doing exciting things right here in Queens.
This week’s featured tech entrepreneur is Kiyeon Nam, CEO of B'ZT (Beacon Zone Technology), a smart clothing technology company.
Can you tell us a little more about your company and how you got your start?
B'ZT (Beacon Zone Technology) is a proprietary smart clothing technology that combines the Internet and Fashion to prevent missing people by utilizing our application "UndrCovr.” The application is currently available in Android Google Play and iOS App Store. B'ZT's smart clothing is machine washable and completely hidden in clothing so that it's comfortable to wear without any bulkiness. When the smart clothing is paired with the caregiver's smartphone, the caregiver can have peace of mind knowing that the wearer is taken care of and is within a safety geofence that the application provides.
As a mother and fashion designer, when I temporarily lost my own 3-year-old child at a huge shopping center, I started incubating the idea of B'ZT smart clothing by filing utility patents domestically and internationally and setting up a limited liability company that's rooted in New York State. Now we have equity investors/partners and bulk orders and inquiries from Medical Universities and organizations from all over the world.
How did you get your start in tech?
When I was in 6th grade, I won a math competition that allowed me to have free computer programming classes where I made 2 friends; currently one of those friends is my patent lawyer and the other is the CTO of my company. Those 2 friends have been instrumental in transforming the fashion business into Fashion-Tech.
Why are you excited about the future of tech in Queens?
Over the past 10 years living in Bayside, Queens, I used to drive between Bayside, Flushing, and Astoria and dream that the empty lots and car dealers' lots would be re-engineered into high-rise tech hubs one day. Queens is one of the most diverse cities in the world and I believe it has the greatest potential as a technology city like Silicon Valley because of the STEM-related talent infrastructure the city has. Our company is planning to set up an IoT device manufacturing facility in Queens so that our B'ZT Smart Clothing can be a 100% Made-in-USA product. I can envision the combination of fashion and technology in Queens but nowhere else and this is why I am excited about the future of tech in Queens. To learn more, visit https://smartbzt.com.
