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.