Lisa Lindahl facts for kids

The original Jogbra, a revolutionary invention.

Lisa Lindahl (born Eugénie Louise Zobian on November 23, 1948) is an American inventor, writer, and business person. She is famous for co-creating the "Jogbra" in 1977. This was the very first sports bra for women. She worked with Hinda Miller and Polly Smith to make it.

In 2022, Lisa Lindahl was honored for her invention. She was added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Lindahl has also spent many years helping the Epilepsy Foundation. She taught people about epilepsy and helped raise money and awareness. Today, she lives in both Charleston, South Carolina, and Colchester, Vermont.

Early Life and Education

Lisa Lindahl was born in Burlington, Vermont, in 1948. She grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. There, she went to school at Montclair Kimberly Academy with Polly Smith, who would later become her co-inventor.

She studied at Vernon Court Junior College in Newport, Rhode Island. She also attended the Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in Montclair, New Jersey. In 1977, she earned her bachelor's degree in education from the University of Vermont. Later, in 2007, Lindahl earned a master's degree. She studied culture and spirituality at Holy Names University in Oakland, California.

Inventing the Sports Bra

The idea for the sports bra came to Lisa Lindahl while she was in graduate school. She had to pause her studies to work on it. One day, Lisa called her sister, Victoria Woodrow. She complained about how uncomfortable and painful it was to run in a regular bra.

Lisa and her friend Polly Smith, who designed costumes for theater, started looking for a better solution. Victoria suggested they needed something like a jockstrap for women. In a costume shop at the University of Vermont, Lindahl and Smith took two jockstraps. They sewed them together and playfully called their new creation a "jockbra." Hinda Schreiber (now Hinda Miller), who was Polly's assistant, also helped them.

Later, they officially renamed their invention the "jogbra." One of their very first Jogbras is now displayed near the costume shop where it was made. It has even been bronzed! Two other original Jogbras are kept by the Smithsonian Institution. Another one is at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

For many years, Lisa Lindahl was the leader of the company that sold the Jogbra. In 1990, a company called Playtex bought the invention. Even after the sale, Lindahl continued to help lead the Jogbra company.

Helping Others with Epilepsy

Lisa Lindahl herself has epilepsy. Because of this, she has made it a big goal to teach others about the condition. For several years, Lindahl was a Senior Vice President on the Board of Directors for the Epilepsy Foundation.

While in this role, Lindahl started "The Women and Epilepsy Health Initiative." This program has helped researchers study how epilepsy might affect women differently. The Epilepsy Foundation gave Lindahl a National Personal Achievement Award for all her hard work. In 1999, she received a special award from Vermont Senator James Jeffords for her efforts.

Another Helpful Invention

In later years, Lisa Lindahl teamed up with Dr. Lesli Bell. They created a new type of bra. This bra was designed to be a compression bra. It helps breast cancer patients with pain and discomfort after medical procedures.

Using her knowledge of design and business, Lindahl and Dr. Bell invented the Compression Comfort Bra in 2001. Lindahl also worked to teach people about a condition called truncal lymphedema. This condition can affect many women who have had breast cancer. Dr. Bell continues to teach the public about this issue and is now a well-known speaker on the topic.

Other Contributions

Lisa Lindahl has used her education and experience to help others. She taught a Women's Small Business Program at Trinity College in Burlington, Vermont. She also taught business classes at Champlain College and Trinity College.

She served as a Trustee for the Vermont Land Trust. This group works to protect Vermont's natural landscapes. Lindahl also helped support and guide other new business owners. She was nominated for "Boss of the Year Award" and "Entrepreneur of the Year award." These nominations came from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers’ Association and Inc. Magazine.

In 2022, Lindahl was added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. She was honored alongside her co-inventors, Hinda Miller and Polly Smith.

Her Books Today

In 2019, Lisa Lindahl published a book called Unleash The Girls, The Untold Story of the Invention of the Sports Bra and How It Changed the World and Me. This book shares her experiences as a woman in business. It talks about success, power, and growing as a person. Her earlier book, Beauty as Action, the Way of True Beauty and How its Practice can Change our World (2017), is a self-help book. It encourages people to help make positive changes in the world.