| Tell us about your company: |
| MAÄT is a female-founded, NYC-based activewear brand that designs innovative products to address unmet needs in the activewear space from a female POV. Our purpose is to support women in fully stepping into their power. Our debut product, the 1.0 Legging, is a patented performance legging that protects and cushions your knees during your workout. Knees are a specific pain point for women, as they are up to 9X more likely to suffer a knee injury than men. |
| What inspired you to start your business? |
| We believe there is a segment of women whose values, ambitions and needs are not being met by the activewear market. Most women-focused brands are run by men and built around lifestyle, fashion and comfort, without the innovation that speaks to the distinct pain points women actually face. The result is a sea of sameness, designed to make women look the part rather than perform at their highest level. MAÄT was built for a different woman. One who is active in every sense of the word — who moves her body, stretches her mind and impacts the world. And she has very real, unmet physical needs. |
| What are your proudest achievements so far? |
| Launching the brand and gaining early traction with next to no funding, even getting influencers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Melissa Wood Tepperburg to feature the product. Most importantly, our 3.9% merchandise return rate – 6X better than the industry average. That shows that when customers try the product, they love it. |
| What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs: |
| Seek advice but trust your instincts and hold true to your vision. It’s great, and necessary, to get advice and help from other people. But you’ll find that if you send out your business plan to 20 people, you’ll get 20 different – and often conflicting – opinions. Believe in yourself and your instincts. The best feedback is something that makes you consider the problem in a way you hadn’t thought of before, not what someone thinks of your company’s logo. That is what will help move you forward. |
| Please share a memory or thought about your alma mater: |
| I was a part-time MBA student at NYU Stern, so it was a pretty intense experience. But it was also extremely rewarding. I love seeing the friends that I met there go on and do great things. I was fortunate enough to “go back” to NYU a few years ago as part of the Berkley Center’s startup incubator, the NYU Entrepreneurs Challenge. It was great to be back on campus and be part of the community there again. They have been a real support system for us at MAÄT, and I’m so grateful for that. |
