Adaptive clothes for people with disabilities are not only hard to find, but they also don’t look very good. So, it’s hard for most people with disabilities to wear regular clothes, which aren’t adaptive. Erica Cole, an entrepreneur, first showed up in season 13 episode 18 to talk about her unique product, which would make it easier for people with special needs to dress casually.
No Limbits is a company that makes clothes that are made to fit people who have lost limbs. It started out as a hobby, but when she got a lot of attention, it quickly turned into a business. Erica came back to “Shark Tank” in season 14 episode 18 to tell the Sharks what was going on with her business. They liked the idea, and since then, Erica has worked hard on her brand. Since the last time she was on the show, a lot has changed. Well, let’s look at the product and see how the company has grown, shall we?
No Limbits: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Erica Cole started No Limbits in 2019. She has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Iowa. She didn’t know much about fashion before she started No Limbits, which made her hesitant to start her own business at first. But Erica never went back after she realised that her great idea was what got her into the Target Incubator programme. She later joined the Future Creators Fellowship and the well-known Halcyon Incubator programme.
Erica started her career as a research assistant for undergraduates at the University of Iowa. After she quit her job at Target, she became a Fellow at Future Founders. Erica became a member of the Halycon Cohort 14 Fellow in 2021. In 2018, she was in a bad car accident and lost her leg. When the young woman started using a prosthetic leg, she learned how hard it is for people with prosthetic limbs to wear regular clothes. Erica was also surprised that a problem that was so widespread couldn’t be fixed. So, she used her sewing skills to make pretty covers for her artificial limb to make life easier.
Eventually, the businesswoman made her ideas even better by adding zippers to jeans to make them easier to wear. Erica found the hand-made clothes that fit her well to be very helpful, but she was hesitant to start a business with them. After getting into the Target Incubation Program, she got the idea to start her own business, which was a risky move. Now, No Limbits makes jeans with zippers on the legs so that people with amputations can change the clothes to fit their needs. The jeans also have extra padding to make the wearer feel comfortable and protect their prosthesis.
Where is No Limbits Now?
After starting her business, Erica decided to try out a Kickstarter Campaign in May 2021 to see how things were going. She got a big investment of $14,236 because the campaign was so successful. The young businesswoman sent out the first batch of goods to her backers by December 2021. The great feedback she got made her want to keep going. Since the product solved a problem that had been bothering a certain target market for a long time, its reputation grew quickly, and No Limbits soon had a large number of customers to serve. A pair of No Limbits jeans that can be worn in different ways costs $70 and comes in different styles for men and women.
Even though the clothes are only sold on their website, Erica is already planning ahead and is making sensory gear and trousers that can be worn in a wheelchair. No Limbits has done well mostly because of how hard she has worked and how much she cares about it. As the business grows in popularity, it is likely to go even higher. The brand got a lot of attention after it was shown at the most important fashion show, Runway of Dreams NYFW ’22. Seeing Erica’s amazing success is very motivating, and we are sure that the company will continue to grow.
