SHARE

Westchester Entrepreneur Finds Silver Lining In New Sportswear Line

Call it her silver lining.

A jacket from Larchmont-based 13-One.

A jacket from Larchmont-based 13-One.

Photo Credit: Submitted
Larchmont resident Hema Nambiar is the founder of 13-One.

Larchmont resident Hema Nambiar is the founder of 13-One.

Photo Credit: Submitted

After two major surgeries for a ruptured diaphragm and a collapsed lung, then five years recuperating, Hema Nambiar finally had enough strength to train for and participate in a half-marathon. 

It was at that race -- in April 2009 -- that she first thought how the silver Heatsheets each runner is given at the finish line could turn into something else. As someone who's always cold, she thought: Why should only runners get that lightweight warmth?

An entrepreneur who had been making scarves and accessories out of her Larchmont home, she finally put her silver lining idea into action in 2015 when participating in a Goldman Sachs/Tory Burch 10,000 Small Businesses Program.

The result? 13-One, a sportswear company focused on packable, lightweight jackets that incorporate the same NASA space technology that retains one's body heat.

A Kickstarter campaign in December 2015 helped raise the funds to propel her to where she is today: actively marketing raincoats in three styles: the unisex half-zip and full-zip and the women's trench. 

The mission, she said, is to keep customers outdoors longer and happier. Her company's motto: "Because every day is a marathon."

Since officially launching in June, customers have taken her words to heart, taking their jackets across the world -- and praising their warmth and portability. (The 13-One website invites folks to send in photos of their adventures; go here to see.)

At the moment the coats are sold online and at Parker's in Rye, though Nambiar is hoping for more local and national distribution.

The mom of three was recently featured on MSNBC's "Your Business With J.J. Ramberg" where she learned how to perfect her elevator pitch.

Dare we say another silver lining.

Go to www.13-one.com/ for more information.

to follow Daily Voice Ossining and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE