Hien Kaplan

Alright, check this out about Hien Kaplan. This guy’s the real deal in the beauty startup world. He was part of YC W16, yeah, the same batch that crushed it with some of the coolest companies out there. Before jumping into startups, he’s got some legit background in the industry, worked with Zotos, Cosmetic Laboratories, Mana Products, all the heavy hitters in beauty manufacturing and R&D. So dude knows his way around the entire beauty supply chain.

But what really put him on the map? Co-founding Function of Beauty back in 2015 with Zahir Dossa and Joshua Maciejewski. These guys tapped into the crazy idea that beauty products shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Instead, they built a platform that uses tech and data to personalize shampoo, skincare, body stuff, you name it. Think about it, every customer gets a product tailored exactly to their hair type, skin needs, whatever. It’s like the Netflix of beauty, but for your face and hair. No Cap.

Hien stepped up as Chief Marketing Officer, proving he’s not just about the tech side but also a master at building brands people actually trust and love. And trust? That’s everything in beauty. They rolled out products that are cruelty-free, mostly vegan, and crazy transparent about ingredients, basically setting a new industry standard. Oh, and they developed proprietary plant-based tech to repair hair, pushing the limits of personalized beauty tech.

What’s crazy is that his process from industry vet to startup founder shows he’s all about pushing the envelope. His background in traditional beauty manufacturing combined with his YC experience means he’s got both the grind and the vision. He saw a bullshit gap in the market, everyone wants personalized, cruelty-free, clean products, so he jumped into it. And they crushed it. Now, Function of Beauty isn’t just a startup; it’s kinda redefining what beauty personalization means.

So, what does that say about him? It’s simple. Hien’s not content with the status quo. He’s driven by a desire to make beauty more personal, more works well, and more transparent. He’s the kind of guy who sees a problem, then figures out how to use tech and data to fix it. That’s what startup founders do, they see a better way and jump into the chaos to build it.

Long story short: Hien Kaplan is a tech-savvy, industry-smart founder who’s changing beauty from the inside out. He’s proof that with the right mix of industry knowledge and tech innovation, you can totally disrupt a massive market. This guy’s not just riding the wave, he’s making the waves.