Tok2.us was founded by experienced entrepreneurs who recognized a need for improved customer service at retail and better communication between manufacturers and consumers. Tok2.us uses smart phones to deliver a more satisfying shopping experience to consumers while increasing sales for retailers and consumer products manufacturers. By working with multiple manufacturers (our clients), we can offer a more robust and evolving solution for less than it would cost manufacturers to develop.
Tok2.us is a start-up company and is currently seeking manufacturers in key product categories to participate in service testing and build-out. In exchange for participation, early adopters will be given attractive business terms. If your company might be interested, please contact us.
Founders bios
John Ulrich, Chief Executive Officer:
In 1997, John founded Foster Chamberlain, LLC, a 2-time Philadelphia 100 (fastest growing privately-held companies) winner that helps its corporate clients to plan and launch new ventures. Over more than a decade at Foster Chamberlain, John has worked across many industries, commercializing diverse technologies such as fluidic self-assembly (for RFID tags), CIGS (for flexible photovoltaics), and electroactive polymers (commonly known as ‘artificial muscle)’. Foster Chamberlain’s clients have included Alien Technology, Armstrong, Avery Dennison, Bayer, Bic, Boeing, Bose, Delphi, Diageo, DuPont, JCI, Kimberly-Clark, Kodak, Lockheed Martin, SRI International, and many others.
John was also a founder and CEO of Pennsylvania Sustainable Technologies [PST], a biofuel start-up focused on producing Advanced Biofuels (e.g., butanol and other higher alcohols) from non-food feedstocks. Over its history, PST secured more than $5MM in non-dilutive funding commitments through a series of State & Federal grants, private research agreements, and loans and was awarded its first patent before being acquired in March 2011.
John holds a BA from Lehigh University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves annually as a judge in both the Wharton and Pennvention (School of Engineering) business plan competitions.
Steve Hong, Chief Operating Officer:
Steve was most recently the Director of Corporate Strategy and Development for AOL. At AOL, Steve led the M&A diligence process for 11 transactions (over $500MM in estimated value) with three fully executed: TechCrunch, Going.com, and StudioNow. Steve also worked with senior executives in developing strategies in mobile, e-commerce, instant messaging, real-time search, mapping, local, health, online video, virtual currencies, and gaming.
Prior to joining AOL, Steve was a consultant with Foster Chamberlain, LLC in Philadelphia where he worked to commercialize technologies and build new businesses for large companies across a variety of industries. His foray into entrepreneurship and corporate venturing started with his own launch of Blue Marble Gear, a company that developed the world’s first convertible hiking shoe.
Steve holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated with honors, as well as an MBA in entrepreneurship and strategic management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.