WoW Woman in Femcare | Kristy Chong, founder and CEO of Modibodi
Interview by Ima Miri
Kristy Chong is the CEO and creator of Modibodi. She’s a mum on a mission, a fash-tech entrepreneur and a social advocate for women’s health issues and rights. After the birth of her second child, her personal experience with “unmentionable” bladder leaks made her determined to start her own brand. One that would change our mindsets – and the planet! – by changing underwear for the better. She set out to design, develop and scientifically prove the patented Modifier Technology™ leak-proof undies and transform this into the Modibodi™ collection: a reusable, sustainable range of tops, singlets and sweat-proof undies, created to liberate us all from endless amounts of landfill.
What is the idea behind your project / product and how did you come up with it?
I was a full-time mum of a two-year-old and five-month-old at the time, living in Seattle (USA) surrounded by tech start-ups.
I was out jogging, in fact, I was training for a marathon and had been experiencing occasional light bladder leaks. The available solutions were ugly, inconvenient, uncomfortable and a hazard to our environment - disposable hygiene. I just felt we deserved something better.
Once I realised how problematic the issue was, I also couldn't understand why with all the advancements in technology, underwear and disposable hygiene had not evolved. I knew instantly that I was going to have to create a whole new product category for women. I am really proud that I took that idea and turned it into a product and now products that can more conveniently, comfortably and reliably manage menstrual flow, incontinence, sweat and even breast milk leaks, and reduce the amount of single-use products ending up in landfill and damaging our environment.
I spoke to chemical textile engineers, scientists, garment developers, and textile mills and then did the sourcing and scientific testing for over 18 months to develop our patented Modifier Technology. The technology is found in the gusset area (and bra area of our breastfeeding singlets) and works by wicking moisture away from the body through to an absorbent and odour eliminating middle layer, then a waterproof breathable, hi-tech barrier prevents leakage.
When did all start and do you have other members in your team?
Seven years ago, we accelerated the fusion of fashion and technology to create a product that would empower women to live their lives to the fullest. Within that time, we have worked with scientific researchers to not only develop garments women can wear, but ones they can trust to support them when they might not feel their most confident.
I started with just myself in my home office, and then moved to a team of two when the business slowly started to grow. I sought some opinions as to how I should market this range of life-changing undies. I was repeatedly told we'd need super glamorous models to make supposed unmentionable topics (menstruation and incontinence) mentionable to Australian women and the media.
I refused to believe this was the only way we could have a presence in the market and from day one we've sourced customers or everyday women from diverse backgrounds to help model and sell our products.
Once we got Modibodi off the ground, having the right staffing behind me became so important; I needed to have the right people to live and breathe the Modibodi brand. We now have 20 employees and each of my staff is amazing at what they do, but it takes time to foster and find the right people.
How long did it take you to be where you are now?
For me, the technology was crucial but wasn’t enough on its own. It needed to be functional, but I knew from conversations with family and friends, that in order to give women confidence, I needed to develop designs which were also comfortable and looked great too. It took almost two years of prototyping, testing and fine-tuning to develop our first range of leak-proof underwear using the patented Modifier Technology and our Modifier Air Technology. I spoke to close to 100 experts and fibre companies (both in the USA and Australia) and conducted almost 1,000 scientific tests before I was happy with the technology.
In 2018, we launched our teen range, called RED by Modibodi. It was a natural progression for us because mums were already buying Modibodi for their daughters, but we could see that the marketing language could be alienating that younger market. We wanted to create something that could be with young women for the rest of their lives.
In October 2019 we also launched Australia’s first range of leak-proof apparel for men, Mo by Modibodi. Identifying a gap in the market for eco-friendly, comfortable moisture-wicking underwear for men, designed to manage daily incontinence and sweat. We’re the only company in Australia that has broadened our potential markets to include men, because we believe everyone deserves to have options when it comes to managing their bodily functions.
What was the biggest obstacle?
I underestimated how big a market challenge it was going to be. We were not just selling a new brand of lipstick or gym-wear, we had created a whole new product category. We couldn’t distribute through large retailers because they found the product too taboo, so we had to go direct to the customer and build this category awareness and education around our offering.
Another big, ongoing challenge (apart from becoming a textile expert with no experience) is around breaking the taboos around periods, sweat and incontinence. We wanted to positively empower women and men to speak openly about those issues. It was challenging to talk about periods and incontinence issues but I believe we have come along way to turn that around, mainly through being authentic, open and positive in our communications.
What are your biggest achievements to date?
Taking the business global is obviously a major highlight, but I’d have to say my four children are my biggest achievement. Everything I do, I do for them.
What are the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the niche you are in? How about being a female founder / entrepreneur?
As any entrepreneur will attest to, there are many challenges along the way, especially at the very beginning because I had never worked in the textile industry before. To overcome a limited budget and my lack of knowledge, I really had to learn everything and do everything myself and copious amounts of research right from the start.
Starting a business does not come without 100% persistence, you really have to be self-motivated and learn how to do your own marketing and social media, before you’re able to bring in people to help. While it’s stressful and exhausting some days, I know in my heart that I am building a great brand that is making a difference.
What are your projects you are currently working on?
We will continue to develop innovative new products to provide protective, hi-tech, fashionable apparel brands that offer all bodies convenient, comfortable and sustainable solutions for moisture concerns – be it menstruation, incontinence, perspiration, discharge or breast milk leaks.
Just last year, we launched MO by Modibodi, Australia’s first leak-proof apparel range for men. The initial concept for MO came about many years ago not long after launching Modibodi. I was contacted by men asking which style would work for their incontinence issues. To learn that men were also suffering, made me realise just how debilitating incontinence can be for many people. I researched the market and spoke to men with light incontinence and learnt that there really wasn’t a suitable protective solution that could bring some dignity into men's lives, while providing comfort and a more sustainable solution. I knew we eventually would need to produce a Modibodi for men as well.
In early 2018 I made the decision to start the development of a men's range of products. The development and production of MO has been almost two years in the making. We wanted to ensure that this product would answer the needs of men, so they have been thoroughly tested and are comparable in function, quality and comfort to our RED and Modibodi ranges.
We will also continue to increase our social impact through our own ‘Give a Pair’ program and working with a variety of organisations in Australia and across the globe to deliver women in need a sustainable, simple solution to manage menstruation and incontinence.
Is #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
In a world generally designed by and for men, it’s no surprise that women’s health technology is lagging behind. In the past six years I’ve seen massive change in this sector which is so close to my heart, women are coming together to make a noise about equality in all areas, and we’re seeing men change as well — they’re coming along on the journey.
What is the most important piece of advice you can give to all female founders and female entrepreneurs out there?
Think big and act big from the start, and this should be reflected in your branding! And secondly, push the boundaries, you are likely to get rejected or fail at something maybe once or twice or possibly a lot more – take a day to recoup and then keep on trying!
What will be the key trends in the wearable tech industry in the next 5 years and where do you see it heading?
Wearable tech has really weaved itself into society, but we think of things like smartwatches and FitBits: we don’t think of leak-proof underwear or solutions that drive better health outcomes for women. I think over the next five years, we’ll see a distinct shift towards technology and innovation in all areas of life.
Website: https://www.modibodi.com/
Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube
This interview was conducted by Ima Miri, Women of Wearables ambassador in Sydney. She has over 13 years of experience in the tech industry. She’s passionate about creativity and innovation. In her own words “my best artistic moments are when I’m working on a new project to bring new ideas to life”. Learning new technologies and playing around with them to build awesome products is always interesting to Ima. Her mission is to bring more awareness about new tech trends and encourage more girls to learn new technologies and work with them. LinkedIn: Ima Miri, Twitter: Ima Miri