{"672974":{"#nid":"672974","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ZipString Founders Find Success at World\u2019s Largest Toy Fair","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStephen Fazio and Austin Hillam bet on themselves when they withdrew from classes to focus on developing ZipString in 2021.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThree years later, the toy that was developed as a prototype in a Georgia Tech dorm room brought the pair to Nuremberg, Germany, to participate in Spielwarenmesse \u2014 the world\u0027s largest toy fair. They were one of nearly 3,000 exhibitors and their product was on display for a week as 70,000 industry traders from around the world perused the displays.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing gravity, lift, tension, and drag to keep a standard loop of string airborne, ZipString allows the user to perform tricks, and watching consumers interact with their product is what keeps Fazio and Hillam motivated.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The first time someone uses a ZipString, there is this expression in their face of pure, raw wonderment. Whether they\u0027re 3 or 103 years old, it\u0027s the same expression. We call it the \u2018smile of wonderment,\u2019\u0022 Hillam said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENuremberg Mayor Marcus K\u00f6nig stopped by the tent to check out ZipString during the fair, and after meeting with traders, the business partners left another step closer to their goal of expanding internationally.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDomestically, an ongoing partnership with internet sensation Dude Perfect has landed their product in Walmart stores nationwide, and a memorable 2022 appearance on ABC\u2019s Shark Tank further solidified ZipString\u0027s viral presence.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe success they\u0027ve found so far is something the pair only dreamed of when Hillam returned to Johns Creek after withdrawing from BYU in September 2021, soon after the two met at church. Fazio quickly followed suit, leaving Tech to pursue a dream of succeeding in the toy industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We just looked at each other and thought, we\u0027re going to totally regret this if we don\u0027t try. It\u0027s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I knew that Georgia Tech would still be there,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut as the ZipString founders work to expand their business out of the basement of Hillam\u0027s parents\u2019 home, Fazio has returned to Tech to finish his electrical and computer engineering degree. Balancing coursework and the business is difficult, but Fazio says what he\u0027s picked up in the classroom has directly contributed to the development of ZipString Luma \u2014 a new, glow-in-the-dark version of the product.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn conversations with colleagues and fellow students, Fazio is often reminded that he isn\u0027t taking the most traditional path, but he wouldn\u0027t have it any other way.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We often get the question, \u0027How did you get into the toy industry?\u0027 Because when you go into electrical engineering, it\u0027s as if you\u2019re either going to work for Lockheed or Boeing,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, I\u0027m finding myself with my own business in the toy industry. It\u0027s very hard work. You\u0027re stressed all the time, but it\u0027s just an awesome experience.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe same sense of wonderment that Fazio and Hillam see on the faces of customers is what drew them to this entrepreneurial endeavor, and through the ups and downs, Hillam says that, sometimes, \u0022You have to make time to play with the toys.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"From \u0027Shark Tank\u0027 to Nuremberg, Germany, the product that started in a Georgia Tech dorm room is making waves.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EShark Tank\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;to Nuremberg, Germany, the product\u0026nbsp;that started\u0026nbsp;in a Georgia Tech dorm room is making waves.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From \u0027Shark Tank\u0027 to Nuremberg, Germany, the product that started in a Georgia Tech dorm room is making waves.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2024-02-15 17:59:34","changed_gmt":"2024-02-23 01:53:06","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673099":{"id":"673099","type":"image","title":"ZipString Founders at Spielwarenmesse ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EZipString founders Stephen Fazio (right) and Austin Hillam (middle) at Spielwarenmesse in\u0026nbsp;Nuremberg, Germany.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1708019839","gmt_created":"2024-02-15 17:57:19","changed":"1708019770","gmt_changed":"2024-02-15 17:56:10","alt":"ZipString Founders at Spielwarenmesse ","file":{"fid":"256455","name":"Screenshot 2024-02-15 at 12.49.19 PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/15\/Screenshot%202024-02-15%20at%2012.49.19%20PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/15\/Screenshot%202024-02-15%20at%2012.49.19%20PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1416067,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/15\/Screenshot%202024-02-15%20at%2012.49.19%20PM.png?itok=OvAhCezL"}},"673100":{"id":"673100","type":"image","title":"Nuremberg Mayor Marcus K\u00f6nig with ZipString","body":"\u003Cp\u003ENuremberg Mayor Marcus K\u00f6nig stopped by ZipString\u0027s tent at\u0026nbsp;Spielwarenmesse \u2014 the world\u0027s largest toy fair.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1708019921","gmt_created":"2024-02-15 17:58:41","changed":"1708019870","gmt_changed":"2024-02-15 17:57:50","alt":"Nuremberg Mayor Marcus K\u00f6nig uses ZipString","file":{"fid":"256456","name":"Copy of Spielwarenmesse2024_as10707.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/15\/Copy%20of%20Spielwarenmesse2024_as10707.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/15\/Copy%20of%20Spielwarenmesse2024_as10707.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2881976,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/15\/Copy%20of%20Spielwarenmesse2024_as10707.jpg?itok=LALaLFmK"}}},"media_ids":["673099","673100"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"171056","name":"student innovation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}