Zero Genie

Warren Bobrow=WB: Please tell me about yourselves? Where are you from? What was your path to your healing with cannabis? Who were your mentor(s)?

Phiton Nguyen=PN: Growing up in Orange County’s Little Saigon as second-generation immigrants from Vietnam, my sister and I had an ideal environment to explore our mutual interests in nature and health. I was interested in cannabis plants from an early age and even grew 8 plants in our backyard when I was 13. Most recently, I spent several years in the e-cigarette industry pursuing another interest born out of curiosity more than personal use, and learned the mechanics of vaporizer technology. At the time, devices on the market were complicated to use and sometimes downright unsafe, usually designed for self-learned or inexperienced users. I was intrigued by the challenge of engineering a vaporizer that was well designed, safe, high quality, and practical for ex-smokers who wanted to offset health risks. Our parents have been our greatest supporters and mentors. They overcame unimaginal hardship as refugees during the Vietnam War and were able to start a renowned record company, Lang Van once they came to America. Their entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen has guided many of our critical decisions as a young company.

Mimi Nguyen=MN: We began to explore the medicinal uses of cannabis after my mom and I were both diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, we are both in remission now, but the experience was serious wake up call for our entire family’s health. We collectively developed more health-conscious habits and started researching the benefits of cannabis and Eastern medicine. When California legalized recreational cannabis, we began exploring the potential applications of cannabis as a wellness tool. While there were countless options available on the market, we realized that the majority of those products were designed in a way that mitigated the plant’s nutrient-rich and medical benefits when consumed. When eaten, at least half of the cannabinoids are effectively lost to the digestive process, and while inhalation allows a higher absorption rate of cannabinoids, many arrive dormant or destroyed by the heat used in standard methods of combustion. Phiton’s expertise in vaporizer technology and our family’s penchant for holistic experimentation converged as a family pursuit of smarter cannabis consumption, leading us to create the product that became QWIN.

WB: Why CBD? Where do you source your products from? Tell me about your company a bit more? What is micro-fusion technology? How do you determine dosages?

PN & MN: We believe that CBD has the potential to help individuals who depend on medications that are either addictive or have adverse side effects to manage chronic physical or mental conditions. We wanted to create a natural source of relief for anyone who is spending numerous hours a day dealing with pain, anxiety, or distress. Our CBD is sourced from an extraction facility in Milwaukee that is also USFDA approved for bottling and is in the process of being CGMP certified. QWIN’s MicroFusion technology is an ultrasonic emulsion process where we create a more bioavailable formula where the CBD becomes more absorbent particles that your body can process faster and more efficiently. The process also infuses food-grade flavors into each formula and creates an effective product and maintain a lower cost to the user. We designed QWIN to be used frequently throughout the day to give our customers a steady and balanced feeling. Each CBDi cartridge contains 100 mg of full-spectrum CBD and approximately 45 doses. We do not have a recommended dosage amount because each body is different, but users should feel the effects within 5 minutes of inhaling and can decide if they need more from there. 

WB: Did you go to B-School (or school of hard knocks)? What is your professional background in this field? What is your six month and twelve month plan?

MN: I went to Chapman University for film production and did not have a formal business education, but being involved in my family’s music business at a young age gave me the skills and insight to run QWIN. I manage the legal aspects of every project, design our digital licensing program for our entire catalogue of music and videos, and lead the acquisition of our cannabis facility and licenses. In the next six months, we expect to have a fully licensed cannabis manufacturing and distribution facility, launch a line of high potency CBD and microdose THC capsules, and focus on building our educational and influencer partnership divisions.

PN: I went to UC Santa Cruz for printmaking and mathematics and also learned how to manage a production facility producing artists which taught me the day-to-day business operations and distribution of entertainment from our parents’ business. My product development background helped me design and launch QWIN’s innovative technology. During my five years in the industry, I’ve developed several product lines in hardware technology and e-liquid brands. In 12 months, we hope that other vape companies will use QWIN’s technology and platform in their own products.

WB What kind of stigmas do you face? How do you anticipate removing these obstacles? What do you see as the future of wellness?

PN & MN: The entire vape industry has received a lot of negative press due to the rise in lung illnesses linked to illicit THC cartridges. The media has characterized all vape use as dangerous, which is vastly misguided. Inhaling medicine has been around for decades and is one of the most effective methods for instant relief. The only way to challenge this misperception is through public education. Just like how cannabis use was widely vilified decades ago, people are often scared of what they do not know. We see this current vape crisis as an opportunity to engage with consumers and health officials about the benefits of vaping legal CBD and THC and will diligently work with testing labs to reinforce that our products are safe. The future of wellness lies in taking a preventative approach by having access and education to natural remedies and learning how to be more mindful of our health choices. 

WB: What is your passion?

PN: I love developing products that can enhance people’s life experiences. Some of the most life-changing products ever created resulted in incremental changes that made a significant difference in people’s lives. While we can’t solve the underlying problems that cause chronic health issues, what we can do is give individuals a natural tool to make their lives easier as they navigate this challenge.

MN: The Mongo verb “temu” comes to mind. It roughly translates to, “I believe that I am not passionate about one particular thing, but a way of living life.” I want to be in a constant state of inspiration, always creating and rushing to create holistic solutions for individuals trying to improve their quality of life.