For more updates about the The BoF 500 subscribe to the Daily Digest newsletter

For more updates about the The BoF 500 subscribe to the Daily Digest newsletter

{alt missing}

Christina Mercando

Founder & Former Chief Executive, Ringly

Her company was one of the first attempts to marry fashion and technology in a new genre of aesthetics-driven wearables.

Biography

Ringly was one of the first attempts to marry fashion and technology in a new genre of aesthetics-driven wearables, which aims to integrate technology more discreetly and fashionably into everyday life. The main criteria behind the product, Mercando told BoF, were: “Is it useful? Does it solve problems? And would you still wear it if the battery died?”

The electronics-infused rings, which featured precious and semi-precious gemstones set in 18-karat gold plate, vibrate and subtly light up to alert wearers of important incoming smartphone notifications — users could configure Ringly’s corresponding smartphone app to choose how and for what they are alerted.

The company spent over a year developing its first rings, which were shipped to customers at the beginning of 2015. Ringly’s also reached beyond rings into everyday items like keys and wallets, which the company planned to release new hardware in 2016. Products had built-in accelerometer, meaning future accessories could recognise gestures and movements. However, despite raising $6.8 million in funding between 2013 and 2015, Ringly closed down in 2018.

Before launching Ringly, Mercando founded Hunch, a start-up that curated personal taste graphs of the Internet, in 2011. The company was bought by Ebay in 2013, where Mercando then worked for a year and a half as a senior product and design manager, helping improve its social selling experience.

Career

Ringly

Ringly

Founder & Chief Executive

2013 - 2018

New York, United States

eBay

eBay

Senior Product & Design Manager

2011 - 2013

New York, United States

Education

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

Vital Statistics

Nationality

United States

Location
United States
Member since
2015

Similar Profiles

Michael Preysman

Founder, Everlane

Tim Brown & Joey Zwillinger

Founders, Allbirds

Mukesh Bansal

Founder, Myntra & CureFit


What is The BoF 500?

The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.