Rooted in Legacy: Aisle’s Next Chapter
Madeleine ShawDear Aisle community,
We have some very big news to share! Aisle (formerly Lunapads) has been acquired by Lux Perry, the visionary young CEO behind the period pain relief startup Somedays. We hope that you will be as excited about this new direction for Aisle’s future as we are.
In 1993 when I started making period underwear and menstrual pads, there was no internet, no Instagram, and certainly no TikTok. Plenty of people thought that my ideas and products were weird at best. But my belief in the power of periods was unstoppable, and my passion has turned out to be prescient.
Lunapads was one of the earliest groundbreaking ventures in a marketplace that has seen explosive growth in recent years. According to global market research firms, the Femtech sector is estimated to be valued at $50 billion by 2025, with the reusable category for period underwear and menstrual cups to reach over $100M and $800M respectively.
Like a Mother tree, the roots Suzanne and I laid have become the foundation for hundreds of startups making reusable period care products and set off an unstoppable wave of menstrual equity activism and financial support.
Groundbreaking product innovation aside, our company’s story is also one of a remarkable relationship. When Suzanne and I met in 1999, despite our outward differences (think corporate accountant vs. flying-by-the-seat-of-her-pads social entrepreneur), we immediately hit it off. Together, we have weathered the classic entrepreneurial journey of a shared dream; untold hours of hard work, kids, health crises, travel, awards, and every other imaginable high and low.
Image: A lot of folks say that they invented period underwear. Here we are selling ours in 2001!
Our decades of work have been a labour of love in the truest sense: for our friendship, our products and their impact. But the company has always been about much more than that. Like Mother trees, we have been a hub for multiple networks of relationship and connection that literally span the globe. I could not begin to count the number of ‘roots’ that our mentorship has nurtured in terms of ideas, relationships and ventures.
Image: No daycare? No problem. We brought our kids to work with us.
That said, running a business–especially an impact-driven one–is not for the faint of heart. Trees–like all living things–don’t last forever. But forests do, providing that we are careful with them and don’t take them for granted.
Passing the Torch
As we entered our 50s, Suzanne and I began to consider Aisle’s future. Many companies in our space have recently made financially impressive exits to large multinational corporations. Suzanne and I wanted our exit to honour our social enterprise roots and be consistent with the values that have guided us for the past three decades, prioritizing relationship, sustainability and impact.
When we were approached by Lux, we were struck by how much they valued our legacy. We also loved the idea that Aisle would remain in the hands of someone deeply dedicated to menstrual health and equity, right here in Vancouver. This intergenerational passing of the torch supports the continuation of our vision of universal access to sustainable menstrual care.
About Lux and Somedays
Pushing back against a lifetime of dealing with endometriosis, a painful condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, Lux took their previous career experience in formulating muscle pain relief products and applied it to menstrual cramping.
Like Aisle, Somedays is about far more than just products. Lux’s bold message that “Period Pain is not Normal” encourages those experiencing intense menstrual discomfort to not simply write it off as an inevitable part of living in a cyclical body.
Normalizing period pain can in fact mask or even gaslight serious conditions that require medical attention. This is a vital message that we are 100% in alignment with, and in fact see the inclusion of pain management as an essential component of comprehensive menstrual equity.
What’s Next?
Suzanne and I will continue to serve the company for the next year as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Impact Officer (CIO) respectively, with Lux taking the reins as CEO. We’re excited to be working together, bringing different skills and perspectives to bear on our complementary missions.
This amalgamation propels the two companies into an exciting future where innovation and product development take centre stage. Rooted in the same values and a strong commitment to making life better for those who menstruate, our joined forces will bring a fresh approach to health and shape the future of menstrual care.
We hope that you, our amazing, loyal community, will celebrate this milestone with us and will continue to support Aisle and Lux as they take on the company’s leadership. Please be sure to check out the Somedays website, check out their brilliant TikToks and share this story as inspiration to others in your network.
Yours always in sustainable menstrual health,
Suzanne and Madeleine
