Name: Quan Gan
Role: Founder / Owner
Location: Santa Clarita, California
Timezone: Pacific Time (US)
What it is: An active learning platform that combines wearable devices ("ztaggers") with physical games to get students moving, socializing, and learning. Players wear wrist-mounted devices with screens, speakers, vibration motors, and IR/proximity sensors. The central command unit (Z.U.E.S.) orchestrates games for up to 24 players simultaneously, expandable to 48. The system fits in a roll-on suitcase — portable enough for an airplane.
Origin: Started as a trade show digital scavenger hunt for Gantom Lighting in 2016. Built on Gantom's Thea Award-winning Torch Technology (IR beacons + wearable devices). Spun out as independent company after witnessing extraordinary behavior change through gamification.
Core thesis: Bring elements of video games into the physical world. Get kids off screens and into face-to-face active play, collaborative teamwork, and learning. Non-contact, inclusive, multi-sensory.
Game modes include: Zombie Survival (most popular — non-contact tag with role-playing), Pattern/Math Match (partner communication + problem-solving), Word Match (foreign language vocabulary — players find translation partners), Red Light Green Light, Rock Paper Scissors, Keep Away, and Number Flash (math sequencing).
Educational alignment: SEL (social-emotional learning), behavioral self-regulation, STEM integration, ELO-P alignment, physical literacy, 21st century skills, conflict resolution. Outcomes delivered through active play, not explicit instruction.
Market position:
Growth target: $100M revenue within three years
Financing: Two SBA loans totaling $545,800 recently secured. Strategy: aggressive loan paydown during peak revenue (grant funding windows), draw from revolving credit during slower periods.
Current development: Word matching game for K-6 foreign language education — English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese vocabulary lists aligned to state standards.
Known issue: Voluntary battery recall due to overheating — being addressed.
Customers: Schools and afterschool programs buy the system; "Playmakers" (trained by ZTAG) are the boots-on-the-ground people who actually run games for kids. Staff can learn to operate ZTAG in 15-30 minutes with same-day implementation.
Tool stack: Zoho ecosystem — CRM, Books, Cliq, Desk, Analytics, Creator
ZTAG Core Team ("Jedi Council"):
| Name | Role | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Quan Gan | Founder | Strategy, systems, overseas partnerships, banking |
| Kristin Neal | Partner Relations Director | District-level partner relationships |
| Steve Hanna | Playmaker Developer | Boots-on-the-ground customer success, trains Playmakers |
| Charlie | Design & Brand | Creative direction, oversees Paula |
ZTAG Support Staff (Remote, Philippines):
| Name | Reports To | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Paula | Charlie | Website, social media, design execution |
| Tin | Steve | Head of customer support, handles all tickets |
| Klansys | Quan | Systems integration, WordPress admin, works with Paula |
| Carmee | Kristin | Sales funnel, follow-ups |
Each Jedi Council member has one support person. Total team: 8.
What it is: Manufacturer of special-effects lighting equipment, founded 2010 (originally as Darklight). Specializes in the world's smallest intelligent spotlights — compact LED fixtures for low-light and space-constrained environments where traditional theatrical luminaires don't fit.
Name origin: "Gan" (founder's last name) + "Phantom" (Halloween lighting beginnings).
Markets: Theme parks (installed in every major park worldwide), museums, zoos, aquariums, event halls, theaters, haunted attractions, architectural projects. Product lines include Gantom Series, Precision Series, and Storm Series fixtures plus PowerPaks, cables, and accessories.
Notable: 2016 Thea Award recipient for Torch Technology. Disney SyncLink™ licensee. Global distribution (Europe, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Canada, US). ZTAG was born from Gantom's interactive tech division (Gantom Live!).
Co-founded with: Charlie Xu (wife) and Jerry Dong.
Current operations: Philip Hernandez is CEO/COO and oversees day-to-day staff. Quan spends a few hours per week — sits in on meetings, handles banking and non-operational decisions.
Tool stack: Asana (project/ops management), Zoho Creator (custom backend), Xero (accounting)
Minnie priority: Read-only context. No parallel optimization with ZTAG unless ROI is proven.
Scaling ZTAG to $100M. Everything else is secondary or supportive.
Balance urgency vs. importance (Eisenhower matrix):