Driving Innovation in the Sports Bra Industry with Laura Tempesta, Founder of Bravolution

Laura Tempesta is a sports bra expert, apparel innovator, inventor of multiple patented products, and the only person in North America with a Master’s degree in Lingerie Design. After receiving her BA in Anthropology from Stanford University, she began her career in business strategy. Realizing her true calling was in product creation, she later pursued apparel design and development. During her tenure as Sports Bra Innovation Director at Nike, she helped guide and develop sports bra innovation.

Laura serves as a consultant to the bra industry and is the Founder of Bravolution®, a consumer advocacy group and resource providing bra reviews and education. She is a TEDx speaker and has been featured as a bra expert in Vogue, Insider, and Better Homes & Gardens.

In this episode…

The vast majority of bras worn by women all over the world have had the same design since the 1950s. Little innovation has taken place in the bra industry because many manufacturers are content with re-using the same designs and models over and over. Additionally, women have often been left out when it comes to designing bras when in reality they are the ones wearing them.

To help drive change in the bra industry, Laura Tempesta studied Apparel Design and Development, became a bra consultant, and later founded Bravolution as a way to help companies manufacture sports bras that are not only comfortable but also flexible and supportive for women.

In this week's episode of Innovations and Breakthroughs, Rich Goldstein is joined by Laura Tempesta, the Founder of Bravolution, to talk about Laura's efforts driving in innovation and change in the sports bra industry. They talk about common biases in the apparel industry, how the COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for innovation in the bra industry, and the role intellectual property has played in Laura's work. Stay tuned.