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About KK Gregory, Inventor of Wristies®
How did it all begin?
 On
a cold and snowy winter's day, 10 year old K-K Gregory was out building
a snow fort when her wrists started to hurt because they were cold and
wet. She remedied the problem by inventing Wristies, and wore them
under her coat and mittens. She tested the invention with her scout
troop who encouraged her to make more. She applied for a patent,
trademarked the name, and started a company! Wristies are taking the
world by storm (excuse the pun) with people wearing Wristies for all
sorts of reasons. Mostly people like them because they just help them
keep warmer.
If you have specific questions about the business, please e-mail your request to sue@wristies.com.
K-K, the young inventor
Let's
not kid (excuse the pun) each other. Having started a business at age
10, KK experienced many challenges along the way. The most difficult
one was being taken seriously. Since K-K was so young and couldn't
drive, K-K was accompanied by her mom, and most people thought the
Wristies®' idea was mom's, and that mom probably couldn't find a
babysitter or something, and that little KK had to come along! Not so!
 Early
on, since Wristies hadn't been seen by many people before and
since they were such a new idea, people wondered what KK was wearing on
her wrists. She was doing what good marketing people tell you to do:
WEAR YOUR PRODUCT. USE YOUR PRODUCT. TALK ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT! KK was
busy building a brand (an identity -- like "Coke" or "Gap" --those are
brands) and building a business, creating demand and interest, so she
wore Wristies at every meeting and talked about them, too! It gave
people a great way of starting up a conversation, after they asked her
mom about a babysitter...
Other challenges were
personal. She lost some friends. Lots of kids at school ridiculed and
teased her about Wristies. Even her brother was teased. But the
Wristies business was growing, and the media was very interested in
telling the story about how a young person with a good idea can sell
it, start a business and be an entrepreneur - someone who has their own
business.
The Wristies'
story continues to be a beacon for students around the country and this
web site provides inspiration and is used as an educational tool in
classrooms. KK's invention is highlighted in several books, including
"I Want to Be A Fashion Designer", "How to Be a Teenage Millionaire"
(KK's not one yet), "Girls and Young Women Entrepreneurs", and others.
In 2002 KK accepted an invitation to appear on the Ananda Lewis Show with the theme, "Inventors and Inventions."
In
October 2003, KK made a presentation to a great group of 4th graders in
Milford Massachusetts and when we left she said, "if any other schools
or classes want me to visit and I have the time available, I'd like to
try to work it out. It was so much fun seeing the excitement in their
eyes! I really loved it!" Thanks, Milford, for re-igniting KK's
inspiration! If you would like to arrange a visit, please email sue@wristies.com
and we'll try to work out the details. The Milford project was
published in January 2004 in the "Boston Sunday Globe Fun Pages"
article.
In May, 2005, KK
graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southern New Hampshire University with a
degree in Humanities and minors in Philosophy and Environmental
Issues. Soon after graduation, she moved to the mountains of Yosemite
in California to pursue her love of climbing and explore the west.
During the summer 2001 she competed in the National Junior (rock)
Climbing championship and won a spot on the US Climbing Team. Her
family arranged a trip to Austria to accompany her as she competed in
the World Championships. During the summer of 2004 she shared with
others the joy of climbing at her favorite camps, Newfound and Owatonna
and coached several teams and individuals.
When KK vis its her parents, she often spends some time at Wristies. She continues to support and provide inspiration and ideas no matter where she is! She pursues other interests and
sees how the skills she learned through her Wristies' experience are applied elsewhere. Recently, she spent the summer working
as a kayak and nature guide at a resort in California combining her love of the outdoors with her academic degrees. She traveled to
Australia to follow the story of her Great-Great Grandfather who was
shipwrecked off the western coast and survived with the help of the
Aborigines people (The story is chronicled in the book, The Wreck of the Barque Stephano written by her Great Uncle, Gustave Rathe). In October she explored Southeast Asia. She is thrilled to
know how many people, kids of all ages, are inspired to solve problems,
start something, and "go for your dreams!"
Previously, KK worked for the production company that produces the ABC
television show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in the design
department. Yup. She worked with Ty, Paul, Tonya, Eduardo, and the
entire crew! You can read more about what KK's been up to on the In the News page.
NEWSFLASH!!!! KK'S BACK!!!! When KK
came and visited during the Thanksgiving break, the Gregory family had
a meeting and discussed the future of Wristies - would KK come back and
take charge? YES!!!! There will be a transition period while KK gains
valuable information about the company from mom -- the future is
bright with possibilities! KK's enthusiasm, knowledge, and drive will
propel Wristies Inc into the next level.
KK received the following awards and recognitions for her Wristies:
- 2000 Apex Award, Best use of Polartec®, presented by Malden Mills, Inc. Youngest recipient.
- 2000 Leading Woman of the Year by the Patriot Trail Girl Scout Council, presented October 26, 1999.
- 1998 Bedford Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year Award (youngest ever nominated)
- 1997 Kids' Hall of Fame, inducted along with 12 other young people from around the world.
- 1997 Honorary Finalist, New England Entrepreneur of the Year.
K-K was the youngest ever to be nominated nationwide. She inspired a
new category for the 1998 Awards, "Young Entrepreneur," although they
define "young" as "under 30!"
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