Huntsville entrepreneur Ruth Young-Loaeza has secured a $750,000 prize at the "Meet the Drapers" Halobama Pitch Competition for her company NEET Sheets, which designs innovative bed linens aimed at reducing workplace strain.
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A former housekeeper, Young-Loaeza drew on her own experience to create sheets that reduce bedmaking time by 47%. Research from Cal State highlighted that housekeepers are most frequently injured while changing beds, a problem she believes her product can help solve. She argued the innovation could cut compensation claims in the hospitality and healthcare industries, which face costs exceeding $1.5 billion annually.
Judges were so impressed they tripled the competition's original prize fund. Jesse Draper of Halogen Ventures described Young-Loaeza's pitch as one that "blew people away," comparing NEET Sheets' potential to Los Angeles-based FIGS, which transformed the medical scrubs market.
Young-Loaeza holds 10 patents and plans to invest in further patents, marketing, and industry promotion. Originally from San Diego, she chose to remain in Alabama after joining Huntsville's gBETA accelerator. She will next compete on national television in Hollywood for the chance to win $1 million.
Source: www.al.com
