Kala transforms how consumers shop online by introducing an entirely new social commerce model that allows retailers and consumers to engage more effectively – a truly “pull-based” retail engagement model that personalizes eCommerce.
Imagine that shoppers were in complete control of how he or she engages with sellers…no push messaging, no irrelevant content, and no more unsolicited advertising. Imagine if there were a way to personalize the shopping experience for the consumer based on their needs right now – providing the exact product they want, at the ideal price, without resorting to mass discount offers that hurt brand equity and profit margins. Imagine if sellers could connect with consumers at exactly the right time, without the need for promotions or marketing.
Shoppers today want a personalized experience that puts them in control, while retailers need a better way to engage shoppers and drive sales than today’s costly and ineffective traditional push marketing model. Kala is a new type of social eCommerce destination that does exactly that. Using a highly differentiated and patent pending “pull-based” engagement model, Kala facilitates an interactive and personalized buying experience unlike anything in the market today – the first truly personalized eCommerce shopping experience with individualized pricing rather than the price-discounting and mass promotions approach that define today’s retail markets. Kala provides multiple ways for consumers to purchase based on their needs right now, with proprietary algorithms that allow sellers to automate the process or interact with Kala manually to more effectively drive sales.
Kala generates revenue by charging commissions on each transaction – facilitating sales, processing payments, and delivering orders to retailers for fulfillment. This means there are no inventory, warehousing or shipping expenses. With a 3Q2017 target launch date, Kala’s projects $100 million in cumulative gross revenues by YE2020.
• YE2017: 25,000 members; $158,000 revenue
• 2Q2018: 60,000 members; $675,000 revenue
• 4Q2018: 200,000 members; $2,500,000 revenue
Kala’s mission is to transform how consumers shop online by creating a first-of-its-kind, “pull-based” social commerce model where the consumers control their own experience, curating their own community and allowing sellers to bid for the consumer’s business across a wide spectrum of product categories. And because it is consumer-driven, sellers can engage more effectively with the perfect offer, at the ideal price, at exactly the right time – driving higher conversion rates and sales without the need for mass discounts or promotions that devalue brand equity and eat into profits.
Designed to be inherently mobile and by combining the best features of social sites and online marketplaces with an innovative conversational UI design and a highly differentiated “pull-based” engagement model, Kala facilitates an interactive and personalized buying experience unlike any solution in the market today.
Brian Wegner, CEO, has held positions including CEO and President of a $3 billion insurance company, CIO of two other major insurance companies, and led the product line of a national health insurance company that became its most profitable line. Brian conceived of and launched a successful analytics company, Fuzion, which specializes in complex analytics, predictive modeling and other management services, and has started and led other start-ups over his career.
Ryan Wegner, CTO, brings extensive and established expertise in applied innovation, technology development, strategic management and business operations realms, comprising prominent and successful multi-million dollar enterprise management projects. Ryan boasts core competencies in data management, user interface design, software development, systems integration, advanced analytics and management consulting in a variety of industries, including retail and health care.
Erin Terjesen, Marketing, specializes in public relations, social media, creative management, e-marketing, and consumer advertising. Erin’s passion lies in strategic communications and marketing strategy, where she brings extensive startup experience and industry domain expertise.
Lisa Lorenz, Retail Strategy, has held positions including Director of Global Strategy and Operations, and Director of Marketing Operations for Best Buy. As an experienced business leader in insights and multi-channel strategy development, Lisa has a proven track record of implementing domestic and international solutions that drive growth and profitability.