Built by an Engineer
Who Spent 15 Years Outdoors
SunUp wasn't built in a lab by a health startup. It was built by someone who watched 700,000+ outdoor customers need better sun safety information — and decided to build it himself.
Greg Kowalczyk — Founder
Greg is a Mechanical Engineer who spent 14 years as Chief Engineer and Manager of Engineering at SMS-Siemag, overseeing a 70-person department building heavy industrial equipment for the global steel industry.
In 2014, he pivoted to e-commerce — starting with outdoor gear. What began as a side project grew into GearTOP, a brand that now serves 700,000+ outdoor enthusiasts across the United States, Canada, and Europe with UPF-rated sun hats, protective clothing, and outdoor safety gear.
After years of reading customer reviews and questions about sun safety, a pattern emerged: people were buying the right gear but had no way to know how much protection they actually needed, when UV was dangerous for their specific skin type, or how to plan their outdoor day around UV peaks.
Why He Built SunUp
“I kept seeing customers ask 'how long is it safe to be outside?' and realizing there was no good answer available — just generic advice that ignored skin type, activity, location, and time of day. That's not how engineering works. You solve for the actual variables.”
At 55, Greg taught himself AI-assisted app development using modern tools and built SunUp from the ground up — without a traditional software development background. The app launched on the iOS App Store in September 2025 and earned a 4.6/5 rating from early users.
The Mission
SunUp's mission is simple: make personalized, science-backed UV safety accessible to everyone, for free. The goal isn't another generic sun safety reminder — it's a tool that respects individual biology and gives genuinely useful guidance for every skin type, age, activity, and location.
Community Roots
Bronte Runners Co-Lead
Greg co-leads the Bronte Runners club in the Burlington/Oakville, Ontario area — a community of recreational and competitive runners who know firsthand how UV affects outdoor exercise.
Race Director — Bronte Harbour Classic 5K
Co-directing the inaugural Bronte Harbour Classic 5K in June 2026 on the Oakville waterfront — a chip-timed race with a kids fun run and post-race festival, designed as a celebration of the running community.
GearTOP — Sun Protection Products
GearTOP makes UPF 50+ sun hats (Navigator, Discoverer, and Kids lines), gloves, balaclavas, and protective gear trusted by hikers, fishermen, farmers, and outdoor families across North America.
AI Development Community
Greg speaks at AI development communities about building apps as a non-traditional developer — presenting to the VibeMarketer community in December 2025 on building two iOS apps at 55 using AI-assisted tools.
GearTOP + SunUp: The Complete Sun Safety System
GearTOP makes the physical protection — UPF 50+ hats and clothing that block UV at the source. SunUp provides the intelligence layer — telling you when protection is needed, for how long, and at what intensity. Together, they form a complete sun safety system.