Meet Gloria Hwang of Thousand

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gloria Hwang.

Gloria, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a long time cyclist, I was never a fan of wearing a bicycle helmet. I honestly thought they were too bulky, too “sci-fi”, too hard to lug around. But after losing a friend to a fatal bike accident, I knew I needed to change. Wanting to give others an option to change as well, I emptied my savings account and convinced my friends to help me build Thousand.

Thousand’s mission is to help save lives by rebranding the bike helmet and empowering people to connect with their communities via bike.

Has it been a smooth road?
Ha! Definitively, not. Honestly, a big unforeseen obstacle pops up every few months.

There have been times (plural) where I learned about a major issue and had to jump on a plane and fly to a different country to fix that issue. The very same day.

I think building a business or creating anything new has built-in struggles. But having an amazing team, an action plan, and a healthy dose of grit hasn’t let us down yet.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Thousand – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Thousand is on a mission to rebrand the bike helmet to help save lives. With that said, we’re known for making a bike helmets people actually want to wear.

It’s a style driven bike helmet equipped with a built-in locking mechanism; We also offer a helmet thief guarantee with that, so if your helmet’s ever stolen, we replace it for free.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Best: There’s always something new to discover. I’ve lived in LA for about 8 years now, and I’m constantly realizing there’s another neighbor that I don’t know enough about. Or a subculture to be a part of. Diversity has got to be one of my favorite things about LA.

Dislike: Nothing new here, but it’s gotta be sitting in your car during traffic. But maybe (subconsciously) that’s why I started a cycling brand?

Pricing:

• Thousand Heritage Bike Helmet, $85

Contact Info:

• Website: explorethousand.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/explorethousand.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/explorethousand

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.