Out-Maneuvering Odors: A Q&A with HercLéon’s Wen Muenyi

It’s a reality of life: garments scent unhealthy in case you don’t wash them continuously. However what in case you might engineer odors out of the equation? Wenceslaus Muenyi, the brains behind HercLéon, has cracked the code on preserving garments odor-resistant for months by attending to the supply of the issue — the materials themselves.

We lately caught up with Wen to debate his analysis into materials and his wash-free clothes, in addition to crowdfunding as a Black campaigner. Right here’s what we came upon.

What’s your origin story? How did all of it start? 

It began proper after I graduated school. My mother had most cancers for 18 years and handed away proper after I graduated, and my school girlfriend and I had been going by means of a breakup. My life felt prefer it couldn’t worsen. I had a very onerous time determining what to do subsequent, so I made a decision to go to Iceland on a self-discovery journey in hopes of determining what was subsequent. 

On that journey, I solely introduced a backpack with garments for a couple of days. Throughout the week I used to be there, I spotted two issues. One, Iceland is a lovely place; and two, sadly that my clothes was getting smelly at very totally different charges. My first shirt received smelly within the first few hours of carrying it, and different ones had been completely positive a couple of days later.

Throughout my journey I saved fascinated with what made them scent at totally different charges and the way I might make touring lighter and simpler for others preferring to not pay the bags charges or love residing the minimalist way of life. After I returned house, I began doing analysis and fell in love with supplies. I feel that they’re wonderful. If you happen to put effort into studying concerning the traits of every one, you can also make some actually cool stuff with them. 

I got down to make materials that wouldn’t scent unhealthy after repeated makes use of. I began off with bedsheets, then I designed shirts, and now it’s underwear. That’s how I received to the place I’m now. 

What was your strategy of researching totally different supplies?  

Nicely, fortunately we’ve the web! The whole lot you wish to know is on the market to you these days. I’ve spent lots of time researching research and papers and lab outcomes. 

I’ve learn quite a bit concerning the charges at which micro organism develop on totally different supplies. Artificial fibers are very fascinating. Polyester, for instance, is the worst of all — not solely does it not soak up liquid, it additionally makes your sweat sit on prime of the fiber, which permits micro organism on the fibers to develop quick. That’s why in case you placed on a polyester shirt on the gymnasium, it stinks virtually immediately. However in case you had been to put on considered one of our shirts, you might put on it to the gymnasium for a month straight. So long as you air it out after, it is best to by no means have an issue.

Are your whole merchandise constituted of the identical materials then? 

No, they’re completely depending on the use. I would like to make use of strands of copper in all of my costume shirts, for instance, like I do in my bedsheets and different clothes gadgets, however that’s not at all times attainable. Folks need costume shirts to be white, however copper can’t be white, it’s extra of a reddish brown colour, so I needed to substitute it with silver fibers. Other than colour, you may apply the identical precept to how the fabric feels. Gown shirts are anticipated to have a sure texture, and you’ll’t actually make underwear really feel like that; in any other case folks would marvel why our underwear looks like a costume shirt! So yeah, the fabric I select may be very particular to the use case.

Copper and silver in underwear? Actually?? 

Nicely, we use so many varieties of supplies in our materials, all the pieces from beachwood to copper to silver to spandex, for the stretchiness. The chances will probably be totally different for every product, however these are the constructing blocks. 

Metals like copper and silver in our materials are type of our trademark. Going again to the lab checks, micro organism hates rising on copper. So for our bedsheets, we received bamboo pulp, threw in some copper and blended it collectively, then turned it to a strand and wove that into extra conventional materials. 

In different cases it’s important to take the completed fiber and you then soften down copper or silver right into a liquid then infuse them into the fabric. So there are various methods to get the identical end result. It simply is dependent upon the way you wish to do it and what merchandise you’re creating.

Why did you select crowdfunding? 

I feel it comes all the way down to confidence. After I started HercLéon, I wasn’t assured sufficient that what I used to be making can be fascinating or helpful to anybody however me. Fortunately, crowdfunding helped me really feel that my concepts had been price engaged on. As soon as my concept was validated, it helped me get the sources and the arrogance I wanted to get actually inventive. 

After all, I might’ve requested my household for assist, however like Biggie Smalls mentioned, “Cash and blood don’t combine.” So I didn’t wish to go to my household and find yourself with some feud or one thing! In spite of everything, I’m the youngest sibling, and my relations are reluctant to imagine in my concepts as a result of I’m the child.

Had been there any surprises that you just got here throughout whereas crowdfunding? 

I discovered to not overextend myself. For instance, when it got here to my bedsheets, I marketed the product to folks within the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Australia and UK, which all have beds of the identical sizes and styles. So these sizes would work for all these nations. However then folks in mainland Europe needed to purchase my bedsheets too. And I used to be like, yeah, I might do this. 

That was a foul concept. That was silly. Because it seems, mainland Europe barely has a typical for bedsheets. So it basically meant making small batch sized orders! I used to be actually dumb for doing that. I shouldn’t have performed that.

Did you have got lots of interactions together with your backers? What had been they like?

General, it’s been tremendous. The phrases that come to thoughts are supportive and empowering. Individuals are so good and so affected person. 

After all some persons are impatient. And that’s been difficult. However throughout one other self-development journey, this time to Colombia, I discovered that it’s important to respect your self as a lot as attainable. And so to me, I’m not keen to place up with disrespectful conduct for any cause, not in on a regular basis life and never in enterprise. So I feel it’s been good that I’ve that mindset every time somebody is being actually impolite or disrespectful. I’m identical to, dude, you don’t must help this venture and provides them their a reimbursement as quickly as attainable. I don’t have time to create for individuals who aren’t keen to be affected person to get the highest quality product. 

Aside from that, most individuals have been extremely supportive and useful. 

How has your expertise as a Black man influenced the way you’ve run your crowdfunding campaigns? 

Irrespective of how a lot I inform myself it doesn’t matter, it completely does. For instance, most crowdfunding campaigns function their creators within the product video. “Hey, I’m so and so, and I created this product.” That form of factor. And I don’t do this as a result of I’m by no means positive whether or not an individual will probably be turned off by who I’m. 

I at all times must marvel if potential backers will select to not help my marketing campaign as a result of I’m Black. So I by no means present my face. That was very true to start with, however I attempt to not get too down about it.

I discover it form of humorous after I take into consideration the individuals who might care about me being Black, who find yourself supporting my marketing campaign with out realizing that. It’s like, now you’re caught with me! You funded my product, and also you’re going to love it anyway, so what does it matter? And I don’t speak about my ethnicity or something till the marketing campaign is over, so in case you go away, now you look unhealthy! 

Frankly, some folks may need some preconceived concepts of what it means to help a minority. I don’t know. So truthfully I simply don’t point out my ethnicity any method in any respect. I’m fearful that it is likely to be a unfavorable factor, however fortunately crowdfunding has helped me increase cash for my enterprise with out race ever factoring into it. 

One final query. HercLéon is an fascinating identify. There’s received to be a narrative behind it, proper?

It’s two issues. First, I’m an enormous fan of Greek mythology and Egyptian historical past, which have formed the best way I see the world. Second, I’m from Cameroon, which is a dual-language nation (French and English). 

So “Herc” is brief for Hercules, which represents power, energy, and perseverance. And “Léon” is French for “lion,” which represents confidence and fierceness on the identical time. Hercules is from Greek mythology, and the lion is a outstanding image from Egyptian tradition. And since I’m from Cameroon, which is a French-language nation, you get HercLéon. 

Principally, HercLeon is all about being robust, assured, and protracted, which is how I run my enterprise, and the way I method the world.

To help the HercLeon, take a look at the Indiegogo InDemand web page right here.

Need to discover another nice crowdfunding campaigns? Try a few of our present favorites.