From Asia to America: The Creators Behind Your Last Hangover

A friendship built in China, a company inspired by South Korea, and a hangover solution brought to America. We are Daniel, Nikita, Kevin and Chul Ou and we wanted to share with you how we started our company, Upside. It all started when Nikita went to visit Kevin in South Korea. The first night he got in, Kevin and Nikita were at the convenience store buying beer and Kevin convinced Nikita to try these anti-hangover supplements that everyone in Korea takes. Partying until 6 a.m., Nikita woke up to surprisingly no headache or any other hangover symptoms. Shocked, Nikita knew that this was something that needed to be brought back to America. And from there, that’s how four lifelong friends who started off as peers at Shanghai American School became business partners. Get to learn more about us below!

An American that grew up in China. Now a Chinese living in America. Daniel’s been happily living on the fringes of society everywhere he goes, and that’s part of his character that he cherishes the most. Like his friends & Co-Founders, life has been about balance: from school to play, to work and travel… it’s never one or the other, but how to maximize both to live a balanced and meaningful life.  
Upside to Daniel means much more than just a hangover supplement. Upside to Daniel embodies happiness, growth, and, most importantly, purpose. Learning to say yes to more opportunities; striving to utilize every minute of the day; and tackling every goal with the ambition to see it through till the end-- that’s what doing more, living more, and enjoying more Upside is all about.

A Russian born in Cyprus who grew up in Dubai and China, but now calls LA home. Nikita has been a citizen of planet Earth since birth, which gave him an opportunity to experience, understand and respect a multitude of unique cultures. His open-minded look at the world and people is the reason why he has friends and business partners from all over the world. 
Nikita speaks from experience when he says that living in the moment and enjoying life today, is the key to happiness. During his college years he spent all his time living in a state of anticipation for the future and missed the part about enjoying life and living today, not later. For Nikita, Upside is not just a brand, it’s a philosophy and a way of life. The fact that he gets to share this experience and bring this philosophy to the world with his Shanghai American School brothers is nothing less than a blessing.

A Korean raised in Canada and China, but now calls two places home - Los Angeles & Seoul. Kevin has been fortunate enough to be placed in a variety of cultures to learn, grow, but most importantly adapt. His ability to adapt to the fast paced world we live in has allowed for him to combine the strengths of the west and the east sharing the positives of both cultures to the world. 
Kevin emphasizes how important it is to be open minded towards different customs than one’s own. Upside is not just a hangover supplement but it is the first step Kevin takes towards sharing a great tradition that has been around in Korea for decades. With the support of his life-long friends and Co-Founders who also have international backgrounds, Kevin believes that through Upside they will be able to cultivate a global way of life for people of all cultures to accept and appreciate each other. 

A Korean who grew up in China, but now resides in Seoul. Chul Ou has always been an open-minded and amiable young man who was fortunate enough to make friends from different backgrounds and interests. From the valuable friendships, he was able to learn the value of open-mindedness, ability to adapt, and balance in life. His ability to learn from his friends has allowed him to embrace the challenges of life and “live more.”
Chul Ou acknowledges from various experiences and backgrounds the importance of persistence. Upside is not another typical hangover relief supplements brand. It holds in its essence the well being of our customers and puts their interests above ours. However, generalizing a custom from a different culture is extremely difficult and there have been and will be setbacks, but he believes that upside will be able to push through by learning from its valuable friends and co-founders.