Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Oliver.
Hi Lori , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey to founding The Inactive Company has been anything but linear, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m a University of Georgia graduate with a degree in journalism, and I’ve spent over 25 years helping to build brands and products for some incredible companies-The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, Georgia-Pacific, The Southern Company, Randstad, the International Olympic Committee, Chick-fil-A, Interface, and countless startups. Each experience taught me something invaluable about connecting with consumers and solving real problems.
One of the most transformative chapters of my career was at Spanx, where I served on Sara Blakely’s executive leadership team and led her incubator program. Working with Sara and being immersed in her entrepreneurial vision showed me what’s possible when you identify a genuine gap in the market and pursue it relentlessly. I also founded Birth, a consulting firm where I advise consumer goods startups on everything from branding to product development to manufacturing and digital expansion.
But The Inactive Company? That was born from exhaustion-literally.
My co-founder Jill MacRae and I were colleagues at Spanx, and we kept having the same conversation: we were tired. We were raising kids, managing busy careers, trying to stay active as hobby athletes, juggling family responsibilities, and sleep was always what we sacrificed. We could see poor sleep affecting everything-our energy, our focus, our ability to be present for our families. What started as casual commiseration over coffee evolved into something much bigger.
Jill and I realized we weren’t alone. We were part of a massive problem: more than 60 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders, and only one in three adults gets the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Even mild sleep deprivation leads to increased stress, cognitive decline, and serious long-term health issues.
We began researching the sleep industry and discovered that sleep masks hadn’t been meaningfully innovated in over a century. The products on the market were either cheap novelties or uncomfortable, ineffective solutions. We saw an opportunity to apply our combined 50+ years of consumer product experience to create something genuinely transformative.
What we decided the world needed was an ergonomically fitting, lightweight, complete blackout-achieving, and even internally cooling sleep mask. We assembled what we call our SWAT team-Sleep Weapons and Tactics-a collective of industry-leading professionals in materials science, product design, and sleep research. We spent over a year in development, working closely with hospitality and performance brands like Equinox Hotels, the National Football League, and collegiate football programs, and with Emory’s Wounded Warriors Veterans Program.
The result was the Inactivator-our patented, five-layer performance sleep mask. It’s not just a sleep mask; it’s a performance tool designed to support your sleep physiology, allowing your body to restore, recover, and recharge. The mask features 100% light blockage, cooling materials that help regulate body temperature, and a customizable ergonomic fit that you barely feel you’re wearing.
One of our proudest moments came when the University of Georgia-our alma mater-became our first customer. We worked with the UGA football team, surveying players and understanding their unique sleep challenges. That partnership validated our approach and opened doors to other elite athletic programs.
Today, The Inactive Company has partnerships with over a dozen collegiate and professional football programs. The NFL and NFL Players Association has embraced our product, featuring it in their wellness education programs and providing it to players participating in international games.
But our mission goes beyond just selling sleep masks. We want to change society’s perception of sleep culture the way Nike changed how people view movement. Sleep isn’t lazy or indulgent-it’s essential for everything: memory, mood, immune function, athletic performance, and daily life quality.
Looking back on more than 25 years of working across Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, I can see how every experience prepared me for this moment. The Inactive Company represents more than a business venture; it’s personal, it’s purposeful, and it’s just getting started.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not-and honestly, the challenges have made the journey more meaningful. Building a hardware product in the consumer goods space, especially one that requires patented technology and specialized materials, comes with obstacles that test your resolve daily.
One of our biggest challenges was product development itself. We wanted something that actually worked, backed by science, and that people would want to use every night. That meant over a year of prototyping, testing different materials, studying sleep physiology, and iterating based on feedback. We needed to achieve true 100% light blockage, integrate cooling technology without adding bulk, and create an ergonomic fit for virtually any head size, facial feature, and sleeping position.
Manufacturing was another significant hurdle. The consumer goods industry is complex, with long lead times, minimum order quantities, finding partners who can execute your vision with precision-and now impending tariffs. We’re talking about a five-layer patented design with specific performance requirements. Finding the right production partners took time and persistence.
Funding a hardware startup is particularly challenging. Unlike software companies that can launch with relatively low capital, we needed significant investment upfront for product development, tooling, inventory, and marketing. We bootstrapped, which meant making tough decisions about where to allocate limited funds.
Breaking into the athletic and performance market required building credibility from scratch. When we first approached teams, we had to prove our product wasn’t just another wellness gimmick. Working with the University of Georgia football team, and doing both Internal Review Board (IRB) and third-party consumer tests were crucial-they gave us the opportunity to refine our product based on user feedback.
As working mothers and entrepreneurs, we also faced the universal struggle of balance. The irony isn’t lost on us-we started this company because we were exhausted and not sleeping enough, and building it has required even more sacrifice of sleep and personal time.
The market education piece has been ongoing. Convincing people to invest in sleep tools and prioritize rest in a culture that glorifies hustle and productivity is challenging. We’re trying to shift cultural attitudes about sleep.
Supply chain disruptions created unpredictable challenges with materials sourcing, shipping timelines, and costs. We’ve had to be nimble and maintain relationships with multiple suppliers.
Despite all these challenges, what keeps us going is customer feedback-whether it’s an NFL player who finally sleeps through a red-eye flight and makes critical plays in the game, a mom who wakes up feeling restored, or an executive who’s improved their performance. Those stories remind us why we started this journey.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but every obstacle has taught us something valuable. We’ve become better entrepreneurs and more committed to our mission of building a world of well-rested individuals.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Inactive Company is a sleep performance brand dedicated to developing technology and tools that enhance rest and recovery. Our flagship product, the Inactivators sleep mask, is what we call the first ‘performance sleep mask’-a scientifically backed solution trusted by professional and collegiate sports organizations.
What We Specialize In:
We specialize in the intersection of sleep science, innovative materials engineering, and purposeful design. The Inactivators mask features several patented elements:
Tru-dark technology for 100% light blocking
Temperature regulation through cooling materials
Ergonomic customizable fit without pressure points
Breathable, premium fabrics
What We are Known For:
We’re becoming known for bringing athlete-grade sleep technology to everyone. We’ve established trusted partnerships with collegiate and professional athletic teams, first responders, wellness-minded corporations, luxury hotels and more. Increasingly, consumers are reaching out to us directly to order through our website, inactiveco.com.
What Sets Us Apart:
1. Founder expertise – 50+ combined years working with everything from multi-national brands to startups
2. Authentic origin story – We started this because we were exhausted working mothers who couldn’t find a solution.
3. Science-first approach – Everything is backed by sleep research and validated by elite athletes.
4. Quality without compromise – We invested in patented technology and premium materials.
5. Mission-driven culture – We’re trying to change cultural attitudes about sleep.
What I am Most Proud Of:
The UGA partnership as our alma mater became our first customer
The NFL and NFLPA recognizing our product for elite athletes
Customer testimonials about transformed sleep
Our talented SWAT team who share our vision
Staying true to our values and integrity
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Books:
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Sleep Disorders for Dummies/CBT-i resources
Podcasts:
Huberman Lab
Sleepy with Otis Gray
Change Your Brain Every Day – Dr. Daniel Amen
Tetragrammation with Rick Rubin
Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce / New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce
Apps & Tools:
Calm App
CBT-i Coach
Slack & Asana for team management
Personal Practices:
Morning sunlight exposure and evening dim light to set circadian rhythm
Sleep consistency with our Inactivators mask for complete darkness, routine bed and wake times
Movement as a hobby athlete
Connection with mentors, family, and community, including volunteer work
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inactiveco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_inactive_co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InactiveCo/
