Like working parents across the world, Lori Oliver and Jill MacRae struggled to find enough time to sleep while they were building up their careers at the Atlanta-based shapewear and clothing giant Spanx.
After a tenure at Spanx in the mid 2010s, Oliver started advising and investing in other consumer product startups. That is where she learned about the sleep mask market, which she learned hadn’t been innovated on in over a century.
Oliver and MacRae teamed up and started prototyping out a re-engineered sleep mask, which ultimately led to the launch of The Inactive Company.
Meet The Inactive Company
The team’s first product, Inactivators, are a patented five-layer mask that acts as a “performance tool” for those looking to improve their sleep quality. The masks are 100% light blockage, made with cooling materials, and include a customizable ergonomic fit to improve the comfort of wearing throughout the night.
That is particularly important since one-third of American adults don’t get the minimum recommended seven hours of sleep each night.
Oliver and MacRae tested the masks with the University of Georgia’s football team, CPT Labs, and then the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program to see if the masks could improve sleep performance in post-9/11 veterans. In each of the studies, participants saw improvements.
“We launched The Inactive Company when the University of Georgia Athletics Department bought all our prototypes, helping us validate that Inactivators could help solve the widespread epidemic of insufficient sleep,” the team told Hypepotamus. “It’s always the right time to launch a business when your product solves a real problem for a large market. With Inactivators’ utility patented construction, customizable fit, uniquely integrated temperature regulation, low-profile ergonomic comfort fit, portability, and accessible price point, we had a true competitive advantage and opportunity to positively impact people’s sleep.”
Building CPG Startups
Co-founders Oliver and MacRae know what it takes to build in the (CPG) space. Oliver was previously a member of the Spanx executive leadership team and the General Manager of Sara Blakely’s incubator. She is also the founder of Birth, a company supporting early-stage consumer goods startups. MacRae held titles including Executive Vice President of Global Commerce and Vice President of Marketing and National Director of Sales during her time at Spanx. She is also the founder and principal of the boutique consulting firm JMACRAE GROUP.
Both co-founders are graduates of the University of Georgia.
Now, you can’t talk about CPG companies in 2025 without addressing the elephant in the room (the global economy).
Yes, tariffs.
Tariffs, and the uncertainty around what they will look like in the coming months, has unleashed a wave of anxiety across the CPG landscape as brands scramble to figure out how to navigate increased prices, more complex supply chains, and alternative manufacturing strategies.
“This uncertainty is real for anyone in the consumer product space today. While no one can predict the future, we maintain long-standing relationships and strategies with our product partners overseas and at home, with whom we communicate constantly,” the Inactive Company team told Hypepotamus. “This situation isn’t entirely new for us in 2025; as a startup, we are always seeking ways to streamline production, increase margins, and add value for our customers to stay competitive. For innovation and product development, we are pursuing dual tracks in both domestic and overseas manufacturing.”
