Krystal Persaud | Grouphug Solar

Age || 31

Company Name || Grouphug

Job Title || Founder & CEO

Years Living In New York || 8

Social Handles || @grouphugsolar

Company Website || Grouphug

What did you want to be while growing up?

I’m not sure I really knew exactly. I knew I wanted to do something creative and work with my hands. When I was really young, like middle school, I wanted to be a painter, but my parents told me early on that wasn’t a “realistic” career!

What’s the best piece of advice you were given when you were starting Grouphug?

Start small.

How do you define success?

For Grouphug, I think success has a lot to do with education and behavior change. The best stories I hear from customers are about how they understand how solar energy works and are excited to be charging their phone off of solar energy they harvested, even if it’s a small amount.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting out?

Don’t be afraid to share what you are doing. Any feedback is useful, but feel free to ignore the haters.

What is your go-to motivational quote?

Perfection is not progress! I started this business by myself, with no team or outside funding. I think it’s secretly one of my biggest strengths because I have to figure out how to do as much as I can with the least resources. And most of what I write, produce, post, etc. is far from perfect—but it gets the job done. Just got to keep moving forward one step at a time.

How did your background help you launch Grouphug?

I’ve spent the last 6+ years as a toy designer at the educational toy company, littleBits. I started off as an intern and grew over the years into the Senior Director of Product Design. As a toy designer, I learned how to use my creative skills to teach someone about an important subject through play.

What made you interested in starting this company?

Two main reasons! One, that I’ve always been passionate about sustainability, but was never able to incorporate that into my work. I finally realized that it’s never the right time to start a company, so I might as well try now!

The second was that I wanted a little more control over my lifestyle. In my past startup job I worked ALL the time, nights, weekends—sometimes holidays. I was working so hard for something I didn’t really have any ownership over. I got tired of that.

What is your design process like?

My design process is pretty standard—I do research and talk to a lot of people about an idea to gauge interest. I do a lot of hand sketching and rapid prototyping to materialize an idea I have. I do lots of beta and user testing to see what is working or not working and then iterate until it’s right! I like baking in moments of delight or joy into everything I make. Details like unexpected mashups of materials (like technology and wood), details (like a little smiley sun), etc. We also take product lifecycle analysis really seriously, everything we ship can be repaired or recycled.

Which women inspire you?

Princess Leia! I know she is fictional, but I’m a huge Star Wars fan.

How do you overcome moments of self-doubt?

This is a tough one! I second guess most of what I do. Sometimes if I’m feeling particularly down, I give myself some space to just veg out and feel like a bummer. Then usually I realize that I’m being a little silly and start to feel excited again. I think it’s impossible to feel confident and energized all the time, so my strategy is to just embrace moments of turmoil and know that they will pass.

What was the process of launching Grouphug?

The process has been very gradual. I quit my job in June 2018. I did some research and actually talked to about 100 people to get feedback on their feelings around sustainability. Then I got the idea for making solar panels more beautiful and accessible. I built some beta units and sold them in December 2018. Then I knew I had some market validation, but I had only built the bare minimum wireframe of the company. I’ve spent 2019 filling in the substance to make it a “real company.” What is funny is that, as an entrepreneur, you strive to be a “real” or “legitimate” company because in your head what you are doing feels fake or lesser. Imposter syndrome is real!

How does the window solar charger work?

The Window Solar Charger is a designer solar panel that charges your devices. Unlike most solar panels, it's designed to hang in any window. For those who rent or can’t install solar panels on their roof, this is a small way to be more eco-friendly.

It can be hung in any sunny window. It takes 8-10 hours of direct sunlight to fully charge the built in battery. Plug your phone or USB device into the included USB port. A full internal battery can charge iPhones 2 times & Android phones 1 - 1.5 times. Charge all your favorite small USB devices from the charger's internal battery. A full battery can charge iPhones (2x), Android phones (1 - 1.5x), Tablets (0.5x), Air Pods (3x), and a Portable Speaker (1x).

How do you handle situations where you feel overwhelmed?

I take a break! You’d be surprised how much good a good night’s sleep or moment of distraction can do.

What has been the most rewarding thing since starting Grouphug?

I used to be a toy designer and love working with kids and students. One of my favorite things to do is visit the New York Hall of Science, where we have Solar Cat. It’s a permanent installation of a cat-shaped solar panel. Talking to the kids and seeing their eyes light up is pure magic.

What advice would you give to other women trying to enter your field?

Do it! I truly believe that the more diverse the field of entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, and makers are, the more diverse solutions will be. It’s so important to tackle problems from different perspectives.

What are some of your goals moving forward for Grouphug?

To go BIGGER! I view the Grouphug Window Solar charger as someone’s first step into solar energy, like their first solar panel. I envision Grouphug as a brand that helps ladder you up to adopt more and more renewable energy, making it a lifelong habit that people are excited about.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.