About Kai Zane. Founder of Born to Be.

Who I Am

I’m Kai, a barber turned software engineer, UX designer, and now founder of Born to Be, the AI-powered marketing platform for barbershops. My journey started behind the chair, cutting hair through high school, college, and while traveling the world. Alongside barbering, I studied Software Engineering and UX Design at Juno College and BrainStation in Toronto, and earned a degree in New Media & Journalism from Washington State University.

I later worked with Graphite, one of Silicon Valley’s top marketing agencies, where I tested and applied the most modern growth strategies for high-level clients. That experience gave me the tools I would eventually bring back to the barbering world.

Why I Do This

One day, the barbershop I worked at asked me to help with their website. That small request turned into a two-year experiment: building, testing, running ads, doing SEO, and refining strategies. The result? Rendezvous Barbershop grew from 2 to 5 locations in under 2 years.

I realized barbershops didn’t need another booking system, they needed real growth. I started applying my methods to other shops in my network, and every time, the results spoke for themselves. When AI entered the scene, it was the missing piece. I used it to automate what worked best, and Born to Be was born.

My Mission

Barbers are artists, but most don’t have the time or tools to master marketing. My mission is to give them a platform that guarantees 100+ new bookings in 30 days, automates Google Ads, and provides free, high-converting websites, so they can focus on what they do best: creating amazing cuts and building community.

Beyond Work

I’m a full-time traveler, building Born to Be while exploring the world. From coffee shops in Toronto to creative hubs in Da Nang and Kuala Lumpur, I carry my mission everywhere: to use technology and creativity to help small service businesses grow like big brands.