Meet 1) Felix, 2) Gene 1) Lee, 2) Oh | 1) Co-founder of DAYGUARD | Brown ’26 2) Co-founder of DAYGUARD | Brown ’24

We had the good fortune of connecting with 1) Felix, 2) Gene 1) Lee, 2) Oh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi 1) Felix, 2) Gene, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Felix Lee:
DAYGUARD is an all-in-one nutritional support jelly stick for drinking—think of it as AG1 for people who drink. Packed with electrolytes, B-vitamins, and antioxidants like turmeric, Korean pear, and DHM—ingredients that have been used in Korean culture for thousands of years and heavily backed by Western science—DAYGUARD replenishes nutrients that alcohol depletes and supports recovery. Simply take one stick for casual drinks and two sticks for a big night, before your first drink. It’s not a hangover cure, but more of a comprehensive support and protection for your body and wellness, just like insurance for when you drink!

Gene Oh:
The idea for DAYGUARD came in Fall 2023 while I was studying abroad and my co-founder Felix, was on military leave from Brown University. We spent weekends with Korean friends who always brought these jelly sticks when going out. The first time I tried one, I was blown away. As a pre-med student, when I saw the ingredients list, I was shocked—it contained all these vital vitamins and nutrients, along with superfood ingredients like turmeric and Korean pear, and it tasted amazing.

While I enjoy drinking with friends, I’ve always worried about the damage alcohol does to the body, but I didn’t want to take 10 different supplement pills. Since there was no such product like this in the U.S. and my study abroad semester was coming to an end, I decided not to just bring back a few boxes—I wanted to build a cleaner, better version tailored for Americans. I immediately began market research and started working with my dad, who’s a doctor, and top nutritional scientists to bring the product to life.

What should our readers know about your business?
Gene Oh:
These jelly sticks are extremely popular in South Korea—the world capital of alcohol consumption. DAYGUARD is one of the first to bring this functional format to the U.S., adapted with a clean and effective formula for American consumers. Most existing products on the market are liver support pills. They only target the liver, and honestly, who wants to take pills before drinking? DAYGUARD is affordable, tasty, and designed for health-conscious, responsible social drinkers—people who love having fun but also want to take care of their bodies.

We got to where we are today through the incredible support of the Brown University Nelson Entrepreneurship Center. When we started, we had zero business experience. Everything we did was for the first time—working with top nutritionists to develop our formulation, landing a deal with one of the top pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world, building our website store from scratch, and navigating the process of launching on Amazon.

Felix Lee:
What got us through all of that was putting in countless hours to study, learn, and ask for help. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to never be afraid to start something new. Everyone starts as a beginner. You become an expert by showing up every day, asking questions, and putting in the work. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
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Lastly, I want people to know: alcohol is genuinely bad for your body. If you can avoid it, that’s amazing. But if you do enjoy drinking as a way to have fun and socialize, you should at least take something like DAYGUARD to help replenish the nutrients alcohol depletes. It’s about balance, recovery, and respecting your body.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Felix:
When I asked Kapil where he’d take Gene and me when we visit Dallas, he immediately knew the way to my heart—sports. He said we’d catch games from FC Dallas, the Mavericks, and the Texas Rangers. He also told me I had to try a frozen margarita, since they were born in Dallas and are known to be the best. Obviously, we’ll take a DAYGUARD together before our first round. We always used to argue about whether Korean BBQ or Texas-style BBQ is better, and Kapil said he’s taking us to OAK’D Barbecue to finally settle that debate.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Felix Lee:
As a student at Brown University, it’s always a challenge to balance the strategic work I do for DAYGUARD with classes, exams, and everything in between. Thankfully, I’m part of a student consulting group on campus called the Brown Technology Consulting Group, and we were lucky enough to get a team of incredible students to support DAYGUARD’s strategic foundation as we scale. Huge shoutout to Alyssa, Thomas, Jason, Jeff, and Kapil for the amazing work you’ve done for us—special shoutout to Kapil for repping Dallas!

We’re also beyond grateful to all our mentors from the Brown community who have generously shared their time and wisdom with us. Special thanks to Gabi Lewis, Marco De Leon, Scott Norton, Ju Rhyu, and Becca Millstein for guiding us with their experience building and scaling incredible brands like Magic Spoon, Rip Van, Hero Cosmetics, and Fish Wife. Lee

Gene Oh:
Lastly, none of this would have been possible without my family. My dad took time out of his busy schedule as a doctor to help us develop the cleanest, most effective formulation possible for people who want to balance wellness and fun. My mom has been our behind-the-scenes hero with bookkeeping and fulfillment, and my sister pitched in with design support. DAYGUARD wouldn’t have made it this far without the love and support of my family.

Website: https://dayguard.store

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayguard.store/