Our story

Coming from humble beginnings, our founder, Zee Ali, wasn’t always the dynamic entrepreneur, thought leader, and innovator that he is today.  A first generation American growing up on the West side of Chicago, he learned early on that if he wanted to get anywhere, Hustle had to become his middle name.  In high school this looked like Ali selling loose cigarettes and bootleg movies, but by the time he got to college he was selling his first promotional products.

He started ZSwag.com in June of 2010 with $800 in his bank, no funding, investors or advisors, and six credit cards with credit limits between $200 and $400 to pay his vendors. At the time, he studied restaurant management and culinary arts on a full scholarship at Triton College, where he kept a healthy side hustle going selling chef coats to classmates out of the trunk of his car.  His first supplier was the local Chicago Flea Market. Ali only had access to imperfect chef coats that he would buy, wash, iron, fold and then resell at his culinary school.

It was during this time that he discovered he had a passion for marketing and branding.  The work ethic instilled in him through his early years drove him to form a company centered around delivering memorable, joyful brand experiences via merchandise and tech, with a dose of hustle, to his clients.  What started as a side hustle in his parents' house and car truck has since evolved into an innovative, full-service merchandising company that operates domestically and internationally. 

Ali aims to exceed expectations and to deliver to clients no matter how difficult the circumstances may be. Ali’s background in hospitality has set a sound foundation for the level of service he’s committed to.

Let ZSwag.com bring our hustle to your brand.  You don’t have to worry about picking the right swag, design, production, warehousing, shipping & distribution, or any of the other “knitty-gritty” details. From A to Z, we’ve got you covered! “Zee” what we did there? :)

So are you ready to get physical? (we’re talking swag) Contact our team today and let’s create a memorable, joyful brand experience for your team, clients, and prospects.