It was during her time at Brown that Christi Andersen '97 began to feel that she needed more comfort and support. Her feelings didn't stem from the quality of the food in the dining halls or the sophomore advising system, but from the lack of well-made bras that could support her 34DDD frame.
"I realized that I was having a really hard time as my body was changing - it probably started with the freshman 15," Andersen said.
But her bra-shopping troubles paid off - Andersen, along with business partner Derek Ohly, launched a new company, Zyrra, earlier this year with the goal to fit women with custom-made bras that look attractive while providing support. Since commercial bras only vary in cup size and band width, many women buy bras that don't fit them correctly. Andersen is hoping to change that.
Andersen first thought of this concept during her sophomore year at Brown. "It was getting really depressing to be 19 (years old) and looking at granny bras," she said.
After graduating from Brown with a degree in computer science, Andersen worked in the IT industry for five years before she decided to switch careers and develop her business model. She enrolled in the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College, where she met Ohly.
"The more he heard about Zyrra, the more excited he got," Andersen said. The pair named the company Zyrra after the nickname for brassieres that Ohly said his friend's grandmother used.
Andersen heads sales and marketing, while Ohly handles the manufacturing side of the business. Aided by her background in computer science, Andersen spent the last three years developing software for Zyrra. The company is currently testing out its sales system.
Though getting the business off the ground has been challenging, people are already taking notice of the idea. This September, Babson named Zyrra one of three "Most Fascinating Alumni Businesses of 2007." Andersen said the recognition was "very rewarding" and has proved her doubters wrong. "We talked to a lot of people in the industry who said this just couldn't be done," she said.
For $98, customers can experience the style, comfort and support of a Zyrra bra. While the cost is higher than that of most other bras, Andersen said the higher quality is worth the price tag. "Instead of buying three bras from Victoria's Secret that don't fit as well, why not buy one bra and actually get to wear it and get some use out of it?" she said.
She said Zyrra's intended demographic is women who are 30 or older and "who have made a little money and have less patience in finding this stuff."
"From what I've seen, people are willing to pay that much," she said. She and Ohly have chosen to sell their product through "bra parties," similar to Tupperware parties, where a "comfort consultant" measures women for the custom-made bras.
Zyrra recently started selling bras in the Boston area, and Andersen said the reaction has been positive so far. "There's been great reception - we've had a lot of people interested all over the country," she said.
Andersen thinks the importance of a good bra for a woman will account for Zyrra's success. "If you have a poor-fitting bra, no matter how beautiful your outfit is, you won't look good," she said.
Andersen said her time at Brown led her in the direction of entrepreneurship. She has fond memories of her time as an undergraduate, saying she spent "a lot of time" at the CIT.
Andersen said the problem-solving mindset of a computer science education and her experience at Brown helped her find a solution to ill-fitting bras and take the risk of starting her own company. "What attracted me to Brown was the open curriculum and how Brown encourages you to figure out things for yourself and not to accept the status quo. To me that was very helpful in entrepreneurship in general," she said.
Those were the lessons Andersen applied when founding Zyrra. "It made me look at bras and bra sizes that can't be found and say, 'Why can't this be fixed?' " she said.
No longer encamped at the CIT, nowadays Andersen juggles looking after her one-month-old baby and expanding the business. "We're hoping to expand nationwide and developing new styles as we speak," she said.
