San Clemente Native and Former Army Ranger Re-Invent the Wallet

Originally posted at 6:40 p.m. July 23, 2014.

Ben Lang and his brother Greg, who grew up in San Clemente, have re-invented the wallet. Lang, a former Army Ranger, has taken an unusual path since leaving the service: He's a student now at Parsons New School for Design. The two have started a Kickstarter campaign to bring the new wallet to market. Here's an interview with Ben.

PATCH: You don't hear about many former Rangers going into design school. When did design become an aspiration for you?

BEN: After eight years in the Army and two in the intelligence sector, I decided to pursue a degree in Strategic Design & Management through the use of my Post 9/11 GI Bill at Parsons The New School for Design. 

Creativity was never really encouraged or embraced in our family, but my bother and I are both very passionate about design-focused businesses. I was surprised to be accepted into such a prestigious design school and excited to challenge myself to evolve in the realm of design thinking. 

PATCH: Tell us a little about your time in service?

BEN: I shipped off to basic training in November of 2002, just shy of my 19th birthday, and was in Afghanistan for the first time less than a year later. One of my proudest moments was being amongst the 36 graduates of my RIP class who made it into Special Operations and served in the 75th Ranger Regiment. 

I served two tours in Afghanistan while stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. with the 75th Ranger Regiment. I then served 15 months in South Korea and four years in Germany. I finished my active duty service as a staff sergeant, serving in the role of a platoon sergeant for the last two years. Those two years were the most valuable in that I led 65 soldiers on a daily basis and managed millions of dollars in Army equipment and budget allocations. 

After my active duty service, I spent one year in the Army Reserves, where I transitioned into an intelligence-focused skill set and secured a job at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

BEN: Our family migrated to San Clemente from Sykesville, Md. in the summer of 1992 when I was about 9 years old. I spent my entire adolescence growing up in San Clemente and was really first exposed to popular/trendy culture after moving there. To this day, I'm still amazed by how much of a hotbed San Clemente is and has been for startups. Mostly everything you see coming from SC has a clean yet surreal vibe. I like it.

I currently reside in Irvine, but I still call San Clemente home. 

PATCH: Why the wallet of all items to re-tool?

BEN: During my first semester at Parsons, my buddy asked me why I always took my wallet out of my back pocket before sitting down. As a result of that conversation, I grabbed some design tools and immediately went to work developing something that would truly solve what I perceived to be the problem of conventional wallets. Come to find out, there are many longstanding issues with wallet conventions, and we developed a solution for all of them. 

As you might imagine, all of the R&D ran our bank accounts empty and we decided to use the last of our resources to create a compelling Kickstarter campaign that we hope will garner enough support for us to continue to expand the product line and deliver Panels to the retail market.

PATCH: how is your wallet different? Describe it. Where does one put his spare change (coins)?

BEN: The Panel Wallet is the thinnest wallet ever made—it’s lightweight and has a sleek design. 

As a result of my experience as a Ranger in combat, the most important facet of the design was to ensure that the form of the Panel was minimal in every aspect- length, width, thickness and weight -- while providing the highest level of functionality. That's why I ultimately designed something just wider than my bills and slightly longer than my cards while optimizing the tension of the silicone band.

Each Panel is made out of an aircraft-grade aluminum or titanium core that protects the personal data stored on your cards from wireless identification theft. The State Department and many metropolitan police departments also advocate using a rubber band over your wallet because it creates friction in your pocket, which deters pickpocket theft. Our silicone bands make our product the only minimalist wallet that truly secures your cards and cash. 

In response to coins, men's wallets have never been extremely accommodating to coins, and we don't see carrying coins as an essential wallet function. We feel that you should carry only what you need. Just because we have to carry cash and a handful of cards doesn't mean that we should have to notice we're carrying something more... and that's the essence of Panel; It's so good you won't notice it's there.

PATCH: Do you think it's mostly targeted at men?

BEN: Panel Wallets were not developed with any gender in mind. That being said, we've come to know that most people regard it as a product for men. But, we think it's perfect for anyone with active lifestyles that want something that fits in their pockets. Women don’t have to worry about carrying a purse or clutch everywhere they go.

PATCH: Have you talked to buyers? Shown in expos? What's the reaction to it so far?

BEN: Our VP of Sales, Taylor Truett (also from San Clemente) has already begun to engage buyers and the reaction has been phenomenal thus far. Our current plan is to be in retail in October, which will enable holiday shoppers to get their hands on Panels and share them with family and friends as gifts. We will have our own eCommerce site and plan to make Panels available in specialty and boutique retail locations initially. We're also really excited to unveil our retail packaging, which we have worked diligently on. Think Tiffany & Co. meets Apple. 

PATCH: After you change how people look at wallets, what's next?

BEN: Great question! We put every bit of our love and passion into making Panel Co. come to fruition, and we're not done with it yet. We'll continue to R&D our product so that we can improve upon its value to our customers. For instance, we'd like to partner with Tile, a key-ring like device that allows you to track whatever valuable you attach it to via GPS. 

As for my personal goals, I love helping people achieve their goals, so I'll continue to stay involved in helping my current and future friends or family pursue their ambitions, and will continue to choose projects that allow me to passionately innovate around human needs.