Starting an adventure for the happiness of the planet and animals, Dream Hanger CEO Jin-hee Kim
- Views 2465
- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2022-09-08
“Way to dream, together toward our dream” is the slogan of Dream Hanger, a canine amenity startup founded by Sookmyung Women’s University students. It was founded with the dream of making a better world for dogs, the environment, and all of us, and is currently producing excellent results, such as collaborating with leading hotels in addition to Conrad Seoul and Lotte SKYHILL CC. Sookmyung Communicator listened to the story of Jin-hee Kim (Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, ‘19), the CEO of Dream Hanger, who is continuing successful business management with items that satisfy recent trends such as environmental issues, expansion of the pet market, and ESG management.
1. Hello, please introduce yourself.
Hello. My name is Jin-hee Kim and I am in charge of overall management of the Dream Hanger team and B2B meetings.
2. I know that students from various majors such as the Division of Economics and the Department of Clothing & Textiles have gathered to form the startup team. I＇m curious as to what motivated you to start “Dream Hanger”.
I suddenly had a strange thought about the beds in hotels, which are always so neatly presented every time I walk into my rooms. “How could they be so clean when so many people use them?” I thought. All the team members were concerned about environmental issues and upcycling at the time, and they were aware of the environmental pollution caused by the tourism industry. Among them, we focused on the hotel waste problem.
Items discarded by hotels are thrown away to provide high-quality service even though they have more than enough useful life left. As a way to solve this problem, we planned an upcycling business. In addition, in the rapidly growing pet market, there weren’t any brands specializing in canine amenities, so we started Dream Hanger based on upcycling canine amenity items.
3. The idea of upcycling hotel linens to pet products is meaningful in various aspects such as the environment and animal welfare. Can you elaborate on what items you are selling?
Currently, the Dream Hanger amenity set consists of capes, postcards, and packing boxes. Postcards and packing boxes are made using eco-friendly paper, and the hotel＇s ESG management campaign or the hotel＇s desired text is printed on the postcards. Capes are a hotel-specific customized product that utilizes the hotel＇s unique atmosphere and landmarks by upcycling the hotel＇s waste linen.
The reason for choosing a cape among many canine products is that the cape is a type of canine clothing that helps with hygiene and cleanliness. Because it’s a complimentary gift to a customer, it has gift-like qualities while not being a disposable product. In addition, we paid attention to the cape as it is suitable for hotel customization.
4. What is your goal as a CEO?
We are currently developing an amenity set product that can satisfy the needs of both hotel personnel and dog owners. It is largely composed of a dog walking bag, cushion, key ring, and cape, and I would like to expand the hotel B2B business with these products to participate in ESG management with more companies. The ultimate goal is the happiness of the planet and animals. I think humans are like guests on Earth. In the midst of numerous extreme climates and violations of animal rights, I believe that humans should be vigilant and responsible for everything.
5. Please tell us about the support you received from the school for starting a business.
We are receiving a variety of support such as promotional material production, product filming support, and mentoring, which are all very helpful for business progress. We are currently at Sookmyung Women＇s University＇s Cross Campus Cheongpa office. Thanks to the accommodation, we can store bed linen, raw materials for upcycling, and have private meetings with our teammates. In addition, we received support fund from various start-up competitions held at the school, and we are using this to spur product development.
6. Please tell us briefly how your experiences at Sookmyung have helped you.
I think it＇s a lot of team experience. Starting a business requires planning ability, the ability to work with people, and the ability to present one＇s own arguments well. It＇s actually a really big team play. What we do countless times at Sookmyung Women＇s University is team play. I think anyone with these experiences can start a business.
7. Finally, what advice would you give to students who are interested in starting a business?
Don＇t be afraid, just give it a try. I＇m the type of person who thinks about all the countermeasures for everything, but things seemed to always go beyond my expectations. I was quite frustrated at first, but now I think this is the beauty of starting a business. There＇s always something new and unexpected going on, so you can＇t prepare for everything perfectly. So, just get started and accumulate experience points just as if you are playing a quest game!
Interviewed by: Sookmyung Communicator 21st Class Seon-woo Kim (Department of History & Culture, ‘22), Su-yeon Lee (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‘22)
Edited by: Office of Communication & PR