Celebrating Women in Business

Let's celebrate Women in business! YALA is a women-owned, women-led business, so we proudly celebrate women in business daily. We'd like to share a bit about how we got here and why women-owned companies are vital to us, our families, and our communities.

YALA's Origins

YALA was founded in 1996 (then called Dreamsacks) by a couple of world travelers looking to get a clean and comfortable night's sleep wherever their travels took them. They invented the original silk Dreamsack® by sewing two sheets together to create a bed liner.

While teaching English in China, they developed a relationship with a small sewing factory owned by one of their students' families, which we still partner with today. The Dreamsack was so successful that they gradually expanded the line into lightweight, sustainable travel clothing, sleepwear, and bedding made with bamboo. They were among the first companies to import bamboo products into the US.

Because of this expansion, the name 'Dreamsacks' did not represent the growing range of products or materials, and the business rebranded to be called YALA. This decision was based on a desire for a short, catchy brand name that captured the company's spirit.

In short, YALA is an expression of encouragement used across many cultures and exchanged on all continents. It is akin to phrases like, 'Let's Go!' and 'Onward and Upward!'. Our newer twist on YALA is the acronym Your Adventure Lies Ahead™ to pay tribute to the travel lifestyle that is YALA's legacy. Today, our products are just as well recognized for relaxing at home.

New Owners, Same Tradition

In September 2019, long-time besties, music lovers, and YALA employees took the helm as YALA's new owners. They continue the same tradition of empowering and comforting the people who wear and work for YALA.

How Did They Do That?

YALA's newest owners became friends early on, working together as employees at the company around 2006. Tif worked in production, sales, and systems management, and Rachel worked in creative direction, marketing, and web development. They quickly became best friends, working and raising children alongside each other.

Eventually, they had the opportunity to head up YALA's sleepwear and clothing design as a team, which sealed the deal! In 2018, YALA struggled under new ownership and went up for sale. Tif and Rachel lacked the traditional experience or assets of buying a business, but they knew the company's general ins and outs. Encouraged by friends and family, they pursued the purchase and, in September 2019, became the new owners!

As Rachel explains the challenge to ownership, "We were two women with no assets and pockets full of debt. We were both single moms who worked hard to make ends meet for a long time. So, we didn't fit the ideal business loan profile. But we had a ton of experience working with YALA and a lot of grit, so we pushed forward until we got a "YES!"

To all our loyal customers, thank you for supporting our women-owned, women-run business all these years.

The Value of Women-owned businesses

So many things, but here are a few from Aditi Mohan, written for Companies Made Simple

'Women tend to lead from a place of experience and empathy. Experience-led leadership and ownership means these companies are more likely to adopt 'unorthodox' working styles, such as flexible hours, hybrid weeks, childcare provisions and more. This results in a positive company culture, which in turn drives productivity and innovation.'

'There are also multiple social benefits which emerge when we see women in leadership and ownership positions. Research shows that women-owned businesses tend to be more diverse, innovative and socially responsible than male-owned ventures.'

Women-Owned Stats

Here are some statistics on Women-owned businesses from the National Association of Women Business Owners

In the US alone, 11.6 million women-owned businesses employ nearly 9 million people.
The number of women-owned businesses in the US has grown 114% since 2000, compared to 44% overall.

Women-owned businesses account for 39% of US businesses but only 4% of small business loan dollars.

Some studies show that women reinvest up to 90 percent of their income in their families and communities, compared to just 40 percent for men.

Supporting women-owned businesses can be a vote for positive change in the world. To the best of our abilities, we will continue fulfilling this potential through business practices prioritizing sustainability and social responsibility in every decision we make.