Meet the Man Behind Zion ThreadZ

ThreadKeepers, the lights are officially on.

You've seen the designs. You've read the messages. You've heard us say Wear Your Purpose. But there's a story behind every thread.

Until now, the man behind Zion ThreadZ has largely remained behind the scenes. For Black Business Month, we're changing that.

Meet Peter, Founder and CEO of Zion ThreadZ. We sat down for a conversation about why he waited to reveal himself, the beginnings of Zion ThreadZ, betting on Black business, the ThreadKeeper community, the mysterious Kwasi Zion, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

THE INTERVIEW

Q: Peter, why did you decide that now was the right time to step from behind the brand and introduce yourself to the ThreadKeepers?

PETER: The plan was always to do a reveal at some point, but the timing had to be right. I'm not at liberty to share exactly why it took as long as it did, but just know, this was always part of the plan.

The ThreadKeeper community has asked the question many times, sometimes almost daily: "Is Zion ThreadZ a Black Owned Business?" So when I thought about the right moment to finally answer that question and step from behind the brand, Black Business Month just made sense. The time felt right. So, here I am.

Q: Now that the ThreadKeepers finally get to meet you, who is Peter, the man behind Zion ThreadZ?

PETER: I'm a lover of technology with an engineer's mind. I enjoy solving problems, figuring out how things work, and I'm always learning something new, whether it's an app, a piece of software, or an entirely new platform.

My journey into graphic design was a little more roundabout. It was always something I had an interest in and a skill for, but I also knew I wanted to find a way to use that creativity in a professional capacity. In a lot of ways, Zion ThreadZ became the place where those different sides of me could finally come together: the technical thinker, the problem solver, and the creative.

Q: What pushed you from simply creating designs to actually building Zion ThreadZ as a business?

PETER: There are so many businesses and business models out there. You can spend half your life watching YouTube videos about starting a business or finding the next great side hustle. Trust me, I've tried my share of the YouTube side hustles and "hacks," and none of them were particularly successful.

Starting an apparel brand naturally appealed to me because the message and the design are at the heart of the business. It gave me a relatively simple way to launch something, test my ideas, and put my creativity to work. One thing I learned from all those experiments is that there's a big difference between chasing a business opportunity and building something you're genuinely interested in. I believe starting with something you actually care about gives you a much better foundation and, ultimately, a better path toward success.

Q: Why was it important for Zion ThreadZ to focus on Black culture, empowerment, faith, and meaningful messages?

PETER: Honestly, I had always wanted to create a brand centered on Black culture and Black empowerment, but two things kept me from really going after it. The first was simple: I didn't want to fail, so I didn't try. The second was a question I wrestled with: Would the Black community consistently support and spend with a Black Owned Business?

We have tremendous spending power, but so much of that money leaves our communities without necessarily creating something tangible for us in return. Eventually, I realized I couldn't keep wondering whether we would support a Black owned brand. I had to build one and find out.

If I was going to ask our community to buy Black, not just once, but again and again and again, then I had a responsibility to make the product great. Being Black Owned couldn't be the only reason to support Zion ThreadZ. The product had to earn that support. The quality had to be there. The messages had to mean something. The designs needed to move you, inspire you, and represent our culture in a way that made you proud to wear them. That's the standard I wanted Zion ThreadZ to live up to.

Q: You don't call the people who support Zion ThreadZ customers. You call them "ThreadKeepers." Why?

PETER: The name is important because when you give a group a name, you begin to create a bond within that group. At some level, we're all looking for a sense of belonging and connection. I don't want someone who buys from Zion ThreadZ to feel like they simply bought a shirt. I want them to feel like they bought a piece of the company and became part of the message.

Every time a ThreadKeeper puts on one of our designs and walks out into the world, they're broadcasting that message. They're continuing the conversation without necessarily saying a word. In some ways, I think of it like the Black solidarity head nod. You see it, you recognize it, and there's an understanding between us that doesn't require an explanation. That's what I want ThreadKeeper to represent: recognition, belonging, and carrying the message forward.

Q: When you look at Zion ThreadZ today, what are you most proud of?

PETER: I'm most proud of the community we're building. When I started Zion ThreadZ, I never imagined I would receive the amount of positive response, encouragement, and feedback that I've received from the community.

Seeing people connect with the designs is one thing, but seeing them connect with the message behind the designs has been something entirely different. That's probably been the biggest surprise for me and one of the most rewarding parts of this journey. It tells me that we're building more than an apparel brand. We're building a community around something people genuinely believe in.

Q: Some ThreadKeepers may have seen the name "Kwasi Zion" in previous campaigns. For everyone else, this may be their first time hearing it. Who is Kwasi Zion?

PETER: Kwasi Zion is, in many ways, the avatar of the brand. It's me, but it's also the brand. A little background, and not a huge spoiler alert: Kwasi is an Akan name traditionally given to a boy born on Sunday.

Zion is a word that has always resonated with me. Growing up, whenever I heard the word, it seemed to carry a certain power. I can't necessarily point to one moment or one reason why. It was just something that stayed with me. So Kwasi Zion became a way of bringing those things together. It's an extension of me, but also a creative identity that can represent the spirit and personality of Zion ThreadZ. You'll probably be seeing and hearing a little more from Kwasi Zion as the brand continues to grow.

Q: When you look three, five, or even ten years ahead, what do you want Zion ThreadZ to become?

PETER: I want Zion ThreadZ to evolve into other areas that represent our people while still staying true to who we are as a brand. I know that won't always be easy. As you grow, there are more challenges, more opportunities, and inevitably more things to consider.

The challenge will be knowing what can change without changing who we are. I want Zion ThreadZ to stay on brand and stay connected to its purpose and people while continuing to bring together a community of like minded ThreadKeepers who believe in what we're building.

Q: And what does legacy mean to you personally?

PETER: That's very personal for me. I want this to be a business I can pass down to my children, and eventually to their children. We're always looking for opportunities that can create generational wealth.

I don't want to build something that only serves me today. I want to build something capable of creating opportunities for my family long after I'm gone. That's the end goal for me personally: ownership, legacy, and generational wealth.

Q: What would you personally like to say to the ThreadKeepers who have supported Zion ThreadZ and to those discovering us for the first time?

PETER: First, I simply want to say Thank You to all of our ThreadKeepers. Thank You for supporting Zion ThreadZ, representing the brand, wearing the messages, sharing them with the world, and helping us build this community.

And to those discovering Zion ThreadZ for the first time, Welcome. You probably came here because you were searching for something. Maybe you knew exactly what it was. Maybe you didn't. But somehow, that search brought you here, and we're grateful that it did.

I hope you find something in Zion ThreadZ that speaks to you, represents you, or reminds you of something worth carrying forward. And when you do, we'll be proud to welcome you into this community as our newest ThreadKeeper.

Thank you for being part of the journey. We're just getting started.

Peter
Founder & CEO, Zion ThreadZ
aka Kwasi Zion