Meet Jessica Liao Mayers, who launched a swimwear brand with $300 and a sewing machine at 21; 11 years later, she sold the bootstrapped business in a seven-figure deal
Jessica Liao Mayers was 21 when she started Slate Swim from her home in November 2015. She spent $300 on fabric and made each product to order on a sewing machine she already owned, fitting the work around her job as a buyer at the apparel company Tobi. Eleven years later, in July 2026, she completed a seven-figure acquisition of the brand, never raising outside capital. Slate’s minimalist, seamless swimwear was built on reinvested revenue and a deliberate focus on one category. Mayers now plans to launch Knitte, a contemporary minimalist womenswear brand, in spring 2027.
How did Jessica Liao Mayers build Slate swimwear from $300
As per an Entrepreneur interview with Jessica Liao Mayers, she saw a gap between mass-produced, thick nylon swimsuits at one end of the market and high-end, trendy brands at the other. She found nothing minimalist and started the brand partly because she had struggled to find comfortable swimwear for herself. Slate's swimsuits have minimal seaming so that they lie flat and smooth on the body, and they use a thin, soft fabric. The first fabrics she experimented with were lining fabrics, which was unusual at the time.
The brand's first major step came when Agenda Trade Show found Slate's early Instagram account and invited her to exhibit. Before she had inventory or a manufacturer, Mayers made 30 samples herself in her apartment. She gave Tobi a week's notice because she had been due to attend the same show as a buyer. At the show, Slate secured 22 retailers, including Diane's Beachwear. She was introduced to a small Los Angeles production shop to fulfil the early wholesale orders and later moved production overseas to a small, family-owned manufacturer run by a contact she knew through Tobi.
Jessica Liao Mayers grows Slate without outside funding
Mayers never raised outside capital. Instead, she reinvested what the company earned in production, branding, photography and e-commerce, and moved carefully with inventory. She told Entrepreneur that everything grew at a slower pace but was very manageable. Slate stayed in its lane for 11 years, and Mayers resisted suggestions to expand into menswear, resortwear and other adjacent categories. In her words, she would much rather be successful at one thing than mediocre at many things.
Mayers tried trend-forward colours, including neon yellow, in one collection and the products performed poorly. Early on, photographers reached out to pull suits for beach and test shoots, giving her high-quality imagery in exchange for credit and tags. One influencer's photo in a Slate piece generated 30 orders overnight, and Mayers also gifted products to people who fit the brand. Slate did not invest in advertising until 2021. According to Mayers, the business grew about 76% in its first year of paid marketing after she hired an advertising team with an engineering background. She says she would do ads sooner if she could change one thing.
Jessica Liao Mayers sells Slate swimwear in a seven-figure deal
Slate's model was direct-to-consumer sales and wholesale, with 92% of the business from direct-to-consumer and 8% from wholesale. Mayers says the company grew 36% year over year in its final three years under her ownership. In July 2026, she completed a seven-figure acquisition after listing the brand with an online brokerage shortly after Slate's 10th anniversary. She told Entrepreneur she was ready to pursue contemporary womenswear and wanted a buyer who would understand the business and value its identity. She found one with a swim background, fashion knowledge and strong marketing and media instincts.
Slate was organised and profitable, and it relied on contractors rather than full-time salaried employees, so the deal moved quickly. Mayers says her lawyer described it as the fastest acquisition he had seen. She is staying involved to support the transition and plans to launch Knitte, a contemporary minimalist womenswear brand, in spring 2027. She advises founders to start with a genuine point of view, be resourceful, and stay committed for the long haul.
How did Jessica Liao Mayers build Slate swimwear from $300
As per an Entrepreneur interview with Jessica Liao Mayers, she saw a gap between mass-produced, thick nylon swimsuits at one end of the market and high-end, trendy brands at the other. She found nothing minimalist and started the brand partly because she had struggled to find comfortable swimwear for herself. Slate's swimsuits have minimal seaming so that they lie flat and smooth on the body, and they use a thin, soft fabric. The first fabrics she experimented with were lining fabrics, which was unusual at the time.
The brand's first major step came when Agenda Trade Show found Slate's early Instagram account and invited her to exhibit. Before she had inventory or a manufacturer, Mayers made 30 samples herself in her apartment. She gave Tobi a week's notice because she had been due to attend the same show as a buyer. At the show, Slate secured 22 retailers, including Diane's Beachwear. She was introduced to a small Los Angeles production shop to fulfil the early wholesale orders and later moved production overseas to a small, family-owned manufacturer run by a contact she knew through Tobi.
Jessica Liao Mayers grows Slate without outside funding
Mayers never raised outside capital. Instead, she reinvested what the company earned in production, branding, photography and e-commerce, and moved carefully with inventory. She told Entrepreneur that everything grew at a slower pace but was very manageable. Slate stayed in its lane for 11 years, and Mayers resisted suggestions to expand into menswear, resortwear and other adjacent categories. In her words, she would much rather be successful at one thing than mediocre at many things.
Mayers tried trend-forward colours, including neon yellow, in one collection and the products performed poorly. Early on, photographers reached out to pull suits for beach and test shoots, giving her high-quality imagery in exchange for credit and tags. One influencer's photo in a Slate piece generated 30 orders overnight, and Mayers also gifted products to people who fit the brand. Slate did not invest in advertising until 2021. According to Mayers, the business grew about 76% in its first year of paid marketing after she hired an advertising team with an engineering background. She says she would do ads sooner if she could change one thing.
Jessica Liao Mayers sells Slate swimwear in a seven-figure deal
Slate's model was direct-to-consumer sales and wholesale, with 92% of the business from direct-to-consumer and 8% from wholesale. Mayers says the company grew 36% year over year in its final three years under her ownership. In July 2026, she completed a seven-figure acquisition after listing the brand with an online brokerage shortly after Slate's 10th anniversary. She told Entrepreneur she was ready to pursue contemporary womenswear and wanted a buyer who would understand the business and value its identity. She found one with a swim background, fashion knowledge and strong marketing and media instincts.
Slate was organised and profitable, and it relied on contractors rather than full-time salaried employees, so the deal moved quickly. Mayers says her lawyer described it as the fastest acquisition he had seen. She is staying involved to support the transition and plans to launch Knitte, a contemporary minimalist womenswear brand, in spring 2027. She advises founders to start with a genuine point of view, be resourceful, and stay committed for the long haul.
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