Think Like a Founder

I never expected that my journey through biomechanics labs, engineering classrooms, and Division I locker rooms would lead me to the most vulnerable and overlooked space in girls’ sports: the sports bra.

I’m Sara, a Dartmouth grad, Harvard engineer, former D1 field hockey captain, and someone who found her confidence, voice, and community through sport. As the Founder of Robyn Athletic, I am on a mission to elevate body confidence in the next generation of female athletes. 

Why Robyn Exists

Today, nearly 50% of girls drop out of sports by age 14 due to low body confidence. That’s double the rate of boys, and 46% of girls say that their sports bra is a major barrier to athletic participation. 

Robyn was born to change that.

Robyn Athletic exists to help every girl feel confident in her body and unstoppable in her sport.

We design gear that fits her body, moves with her, and empowers her, paired with Body-Confident Sport Workshops that normalize the conversations that feel like the most awkward parts about growing up in sport. 

Our Robyn approach blends:

• Smart, supportive design
• Playful style
• Confidence-first education

We’re not just creating activewear. We’re redefining the experience of being a young female athlete.

What It Means to Think Like a Founder

I’ve grown up immersed in the highlight-reel founder stories: the Shark Tank pitches, the “garage to global” narratives on How I Built This. 

But thinking like a founder starts long before anyone sees proof.

Since starting Robyn, I’ve learned that building something new is less about having all the answers and more about curiosity, communication, and believing in what hasn’t been built yet.

Being a founder means wearing every hat imaginable. I am constantly tapping into the field hockey captain mindset, corporate learnings, and what it means to work in disciplinary teams like tike I did at Harvard. 

I’ve learned to navigate questions like:

• Legal: How do you decide between an LLC or a C-Corp?
• Community: How do you build a community before you even have a product
• Vision: How do you trust your gut when no one’s done this before?

1. Start Before You’re Ready 

There’s no roadmap for creating what’s never existed.
So you want to build a better sports bra? You want to build body confidence? Sure, good luck.

I didn’t have an apparel background, couldn’t sew, but I did know I had a serious problem.

Buying 10 bras from Dick’s Sporting Goods only to feel insecure in my body, running along the Charles River with serious breast bounce, and stinging in the shower after serious sports bra chafing wasn’t going to cut it. 

So, being the nerd that I am… I dove into this world of the sports bra. I learned about the legends who started it all like Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith. 

The feedback and stories that I heard from Middle School & High School athletes could not be ignored. 

I had this mentality that if it’s not me, I would have extreme FOMO of whoever did pursue this mission. I was so fueled by our athletes and the only option in my mind was to start. 

2. Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Building a community online was not natural for me. Walking around campus, recording, “I’m a Harvard Engineer Redesigning the Sports Bra” was DEFINITELY new to me. 

Sharing the messy middle felt “cringe” at first.

But I learned quickly:

The only person judging you is you.

I started posting on my social media with the mentality that I had a following of 1 million, not 100.

I consumed Tik Toks & Instagram intentionally, saving the accounts / creators who’s storytelling truly resonated with me. 

I realized that authenticity & vulnerability enabled our Robyn community of nearly 30,000 people today to share their own stories. I began to receive DMs from athletes, parents, and coaches globally on how refreshing and needed our message was to change the game. 

3. Community Is Everything 

As a lean team, my greatest superpower has become one word: ask.

Ask for help. Ask for feedback. Ask questions early.

I’m deeply grateful for mentors who both challenge and champion me, including Visible Ventures and peers like Rachel Janfaza founder of the Up & Up, who share Robyn’s belief in redefining what confidence in sport can look like.

Being supported by mission-aligned leaders, like those at Visible Ventures and the Gen Z council, has taught me that while I don’t have all the answers right now, I know where to learn. 

An Update on the Sports Bras! 

Every day, we’re building toward one big moment… the launch of the Robyn Sports Bra. We are aiming for a Spring 2027 launch, and behind the scenes, our Robyn team is working on all fronts to bring our first collection to life.

We’re also:

• Strengthening our legal foundation: from trademarks to production agreements, making sure we’re set up to scale safely and smartly.
• Solidifying our go-to-market strategy: how we introduce Robyn to the world, from first launch to lasting impact.
• Growing our Robyn community: An incredible team of driven athletes, coaches, and parents helping us redefine what confidence in sport looks like.

Seeing this idea move from sketches in my Harvard notebook, features in the Boston Globe, and our launch designs come to life makes every moment night worth it.

If You’re Dreaming of Starting Something…

Thinking like a founder doesn’t start with a pitch deck.

It starts with the moment you say: “I see a problem, and I care enough to build the solution.”

To anyone building something with heart, keep going!