Our Story

Happy healthy moments.

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These are the three words that set the foundation for Zenblen's vision.

Like a lot of people, our team found it difficult to juggle healthy eating and trying to routinely exercise on a busy work schedule. Between long meetings, travel days, and additional commitments, we often don't have the time to make healthy choices.

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That is why we set out to create Zenblen - a network of tech-enabled smoothie bars. We provide the option to fuel your body with a fresh and healthy smoothie that's made right in front of you.

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Find happy and healthy moments with Zenblen!

The Team

Tom Xinyuan Zhang

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Tom is our Founder and CEO. What started out as a daily protein shake for over eight years has evolved into the inspiration for Zenblen's smoothie portfolio. Tom previously worked as a strategy consultant, where he leveraged data driven recommendations to help clients grow their businesses. More importantly, Tom started the office tradition of Smoothie Fridays. Tom holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago.

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Fun fact about Tom: He named himself Tom after the famous feline from Tom & Jerry when he emigrated from China.

Daniel "DJ" Weis

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DJ handles our finances, and crunches our numbers. As a former defender for the University of Chicago varsity soccer team, he is used to focusing on minor details to ensure nothing sneaks by his watch. DJ brings experience in asset management working for global financial institutions. He graduated with a B.A. in both Economics and Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

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Fun fact about DJ: He takes no prisoners when it comes to Dance Dance Revolution.

Connor McDermott

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Connor is Zenblen's in-house dietetics and nutritional consultant. Connor received his B.S. in dietetic sciences from Western Michigan University and is currently pursuing his masters in nutritional science at the University of New Hampshire. With more than half a decade of experience in the food industry, Connor ensures all our smoothies taste delicious and fuel your body with the optimal blend of nutrients. In addition, Connor has a passion for sustainable food and advises Zenblen on our ingredient sourcing.  

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Fun fact about Connor: He practices judo competitively and also volunteers at the Michigan Blind Athlete Associate to teach the sport to visually impaired youth.

Stephanie Mellinger

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Stephanie is our Head of Marketing and Sales. She joins the team having worked in Marketing & Sales at multiple Fortune 500 companies, gaining experience that helps her drive company growth. She also played rugby for over six years, proving that she has the grit to help Zenblen succeed! Stephanie received her B.S. in Marketing from Ferris State University with a minor in Spanish.

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Fun Fact about Stephanie: She is scuba certified and has dove in six different countries.

Leon Evans

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Leon helps on the consumer product and finance aspects of our business. He brings experience in sales, category management and trade funding from his time at General Mills, and M&A experience from his time at J.P. Morgan. Leon loves making and drinking smoothies and is an avid runner and triathlete. He graduated with an MBA from the Chicago Booth School of Business and got his  B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Florida.

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Fun fact about Leon: Just signed up for his first ultra marathon this spring after deciding 26.2 miles wasn't "long enough".

Nora Lin

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Nora is our marketing intern. We met her when Zenblen was a client for her student marketing organization; Nora loved the smoothies so much, she decided to jump on the team! She has helped us develop our brand and execute it on platforms like our Instagram, and being the lead in designing this website. Nora currently attends the University of Chicago and is pursuing a double major in Comparative Human Development and Business Economics.  

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Fun fact about Nora: She fenced in high school - yes, the sport with the sabers.

Vihaan Kalaria

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Vihaan is our product development intern. He holds a deep passion for robotics and automation, and is currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. Vihaan brings years of experience developing and leading robotics projects, specifically focusing to utilize technology to positively impact his community. His high level of technical execution combined with his endless inquiry has made him an integral part of the Zenblen team!

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Fun fact about Vihaan: Vihaan is a national champion in the sport of rifle shooting!