Author(s)
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Stephanie Parker is an entrepreneur, inventor and co-founder of the successful baby product brand, Sleeping Baby. With a keen eye for problem solving and a passion for all things parenthood, Parker took a common parenting problem and turned it into a multi-million dollar invention. Sleeping Baby was founded out of Parker's desire to ease her baby's sleep. Once her daughter began to roll, she could no longer be swaddled safely. Without a swaddle, her daughter stopped sleeping altogether. Out of desperation and exhaustion, Parker did some research to solve this sleep dilemma. She set out to find a way to give her daughter the cozy, enclosed feeling of the womb while still providing her the ability to push up and roll over safely. The first night her daughter wore her creation, she slept 12 hours straight. When Parker’s Zipadee-Zip increased the hours of sleep for her friends and their babies, she knew she had to offer this solution to all parents. After an initial investment of only $500 for a website and $200 for fabrics, Sleeping Baby was born. Two and a half years after creating the first Zipadee-Zip, Parker her husband Brett went on the popular ABC reality TV show, Shark Tank, seeking $200,000 in exchange for a 10% stake, and received offers from three of the four sharks. They accepted Daymond John’s offer of $200,000 for a 20% stake in their company, believing his experience in the textile business would benefit them. However, they ended up not taking the investment. Despite turning down John’s deal, Sleeping Baby still flourished. Parker continued to grow their ethically-made, high quality products now sold online across the U.S. and in Europe, Japan, Canada and Mexico. With products ranging from the swaddle transition product to apparel for toddlers and children, Sleeping Baby is continuously expanding their product selections. With products ranging from the Zipadee-Zip swaddle transition product to apparel for toddlers and children, Sleeping Baby is continuously expanding their product selections.