Entrepreneur: Ariel Kaye, Parachute Home

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entrepreneur List Here. 

Dared to dream big about sleep.

You spend a third of your life in bed and according the Ariel Kaye, CEO and founder of Parachute Home, “your sleep experience matters.” 

A few years ago the entrepreneur was shopping for bedding and found herself surrounded by stacks upon stacks of products wrapped in plastic. It “all looked the same,” she says. “I couldn’t believe that bedding brands didn’t ask me how I slept. I wanted high quality, comfortable sheets like the ones I had experienced traveling in Italy, but I didn’t want to spend a fortune or settle for the cheaper options made with synthetics or chemicals.” 

It was then she realized that “there was no middle-market for modern quality bedding.” After research confirmed her suspicions that a bedding brand that connected with customers and engaged them past the point of purchase didn’t exist, she set out to develop the first of its kind: a bedding company with brand loyalty. One “that enabled people to start and end their day feeling their very best.” 

“As someone who built brands in advertising,” she shares, “I recognized a true business opportunity.” 

From there, the most important step to getting the company off the ground was believing in herself. “About four or five months in,” she explains, “I realized being an entrepreneur was going to be infinitely harder than I expected and that I was pursuing a path of uncertainty. I had moments of doubt and questioned if I had made the right decision.”

During the beginning stages Ariel was the sole founder with no team to bounce ideas off of or simply chat with during the day. So she joined Launchpad, a California-based startup accelerator to grow the business. “The community of mentors,” she says, “and other entrepreneurs—all ready to help and encourage me—pushed me through my time of doubt and loneliness. They reaffirmed that I had to believe in myself and my idea in order for Parachute to be a success.” 

“I had to believe in myself and my idea for Parachute to be a success.” 

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Ariel is wearing Keds' Champion Originals.

She advises that when you’re “just starting out, it’s tempting to focus on the the pieces of the business that you’re more comfortable doing, but the big problems that have big implications on the business are often the least sexy...and unfortunately for me, often have to do with numbers.” With a background in branding and advertising, Ariel needed a crash course in inventory planning. “ Not being able to anticipate demand – and realizing that I couldn’t fulfill orders so early on – felt like a huge failure. It took about six months for me to have a solid understanding of how to project our inventory purchases. It’s an art and a science.” 

And now, she’s dreaming big, over the next five years continuing to expand the product offerings and plans to introduce collections for other rooms of the house.   “I launched Parachute online with the intention of bringing the brand offline at some point, too.” With the recently opened Parachute Hotel in Venice, CA, the company is providing another opportunity for the community to engage. 

“The Parachute Hotel was the natural next step for us – it’s an immersive, home-like space for our community. We’re not just in the business of selling home essentials.  We are creating environments that add value to our community, that allow our customers to interact with us, and that hold space for making great memories with your loved ones.”

She’s committed to steering conversation around unity and community building, maintaining that even in light of recent inaugurations, “we are stronger together.” 

“I realized what had been missing in my career was wanting to feel like I had made an impact. I wanted to build something from the ground up,” she says. 

“Much of Parachute's success can be attributed to the female founders, entrepreneurs and creatives who have supported the brand, cheered us on, and shared our mission of bringing a great night's sleep to the world.” 

On her career bucket list: giving a TED talk and hoping that women gain true equality. “To me,” she shares, “female empowerment means true equality – no longer viewing gender as a differentiator or something to be discussed in economics or politics. We’ll have achieved ‘female empowerment’ when the phrase disappears from our conversation.”

We’ll have a good night’s sleep to that.

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Sleeping in With Ariel Kaye of Parachute Home

Parachute Home is a direct-to-consumer home essentials brand based in Venice Beach, CA, helmed by Founder and CEO Ariel Kaye. Prior to launching Parachute, Ariel spent ten years working in brand development and advertising in New York City, but after an amazing night's rest in luxurious sheets at a hotel in Italy, she was on the hunt for the same experience at home. When she couldn't find it, she took matters into her own hands: "If you can't find it, create it." 

Create it, she did. 

We caught up with the bedding maven to find out what she's thinking about at 4am and if it's possible to relax when you're in the business of bedding.

Your favorite bedtime drink?

I love to wind down with chamomile tea. It is almost instantly relaxing, and there’s good reason for that, too. It’s rich in calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals that naturally relax muscles and nerves.

Do you sleep with the windows open or closed?

I try to bring the outdoors inside as much as possible with big, open windows…I love being cozy under warm blankets and feeling a fresh breeze. 

Snuggled under the covers or throw them off?

I’m one of those people who is half in and half out. I always end up with one leg above the covers. 

Early to bed or early to rise?

I’m in flux, honestly. I definitely prefer life as a morning person and try and get to bed by 10:30pm on the weekdays. I especially love waking up early on the weekends. There’s nothing better than getting in a long workout and a delicious breakfast all before 10am. l do still find myself burning the midnight oil on occasion –there’s something about the wee hours of the night when when you feel like you’re the only one awake and there are zero distractions. I can be super productive then.

The last time you slept in? What did it feel like?

I love sleeping in on vacation. My boyfriend and I went to the Ojai Rancho Inn a few weeks ago, and we turned off our phones and woke up at 11am. It felt like heaven.

What’s on your nightstand right now?

My days are so frenetic, I keep my room clear of clutter to keep calm. I only stock my nightstand with my essentials: a himalayan salt lamp, a tall glass of water, book and my iPhone.

How many pillows is too many pillows?

There can never be too many pillows. I have four right now, plus two decorative ones on top. 

"There can never be too many pillows."

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What’s the color scheme in your bedroom? What does it reveal about you?

I’m all about neutrals. My bed currently has our Ash Percale Bedding, and it’s accented with our newly launched Essential Quilt and Shams in Graphite. I accent with a few plants to bring some color and greenery into the space.

It’s 4 a.m. and you’re wide-awake. What are you thinking about? 

Work. Always work.

Guiltiest TV pleasure to watch in bed?

I don’t watch much “guilty pleasure” programming. Right now I’m obsessed with “Fargo” and “The Affair.” 

A bad bedtime habit you can’t quit?

My biggest tip for the perfect night’s sleep, which I have a very hard time following through with, is disconnecting from your phone. Get rid of the blue lights and put your phone outside your bedroom. Don't look at your computer in your bed. I don't do a great job at it – the first thing I pick up in the morning is my phone – but there are times when I try to be diligent, and it's amazing how it affects the quality of my sleep.

Something most people don’t know about you?

I’m a trained opera singer. You’d probably only know this if we’ve been out to karaoke together and I’ve had a drink or two!

Don’t lose sleep over:

The small stuff. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the little things, but don’t lose sight of the big picture.

"Don’t lose sleep over: The small stuff." 

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Why are luxury sheets so important to you? How do they make your life better?

You spend ⅓ of  your life in bed, so your sleep experience matters. A good night sleep impacts every aspect of your life - your health, happiness, productivity. We spend time counting our steps, obsessing over the ingredients in our food and making sure that we are taking care of our bodies. It’s important to take that same type of consideration with the way recharge each night. 

Sheets come in direct contact with your skin, so it’s extremely important that they feel good and that they are free from harmful substances. I sleep better at night knowing Parachute sheets are made of the finest, long staple Egyptian cotton and that they are Oeko-Tex and REACH protocol certified, which means no toxic chemicals or artificial dyes. 

Your dream sleepover?

Does a sleepover with my best girlfriend count? Talking until the sun comes up and laughing until it hurts...there’s nothing better!