An Alabama soldier is changing the game for female law enforcement officers, and thanks to a new investment, her idea is becoming a reality.
Leah Olszewski, from Alabaster, founded FEMTAC in 2013 to help fix some of the problems she saw in tactical gear and apparel for women. “[W]e had just noticed a pattern over years and years of improperly fitting apparel and gear, or there’s no variety or style or sizes,” she said.
Olszewski has been in the military since 1997, and she has a sister that works in law enforcement. Many times female officers have to wear men’s vests in the field, which can be ill-fitting and cumbersome. And ill-fitting gear makes officers look like federal agents, which is counterintuitive for detectives and undercover agents. Law enforcement officers who do not regularly wear a uniform make up Olszewski’s core customers.
FEMTAC makes clothes anywhere from tactical gear to dress clothes. Agents and other law officers often have to perform their duties in everyday clothing. Even something as simple as a pair of dress pants can create issues for law enforcement officials. “People in the special operations community need a pant that’s a little more functional than the current military pant right now – we’re going to do something that’s a little bit more functional,” Olszewski said.
Function and safety are at the center of FEMTAC’s design philosophy.
This month Olszewski took FEMTAC to the second-annual Veteran’s Business Battle hosted at Rice University in Houston, Texas. This Shark Tank-style competition is only open to veterans and gives them an opportunity to pitch their ideas for potential investors. Over 125 veteran-owned businesses entered the competition this year.
Olszewski was offered a $50,000 immediate investment with the option for more investments in the future.
The $50,000 investment will help Olszewski move her product from the design prototype phase to a point where she can begin to sell the product on a larger scale. Olszewski was thrilled with the investment, which will help take her company to the next level. She was also able to meet with potential future investors. “The opportunities there were just fantastic,” she said. “What they do is pretty great, because they actually put you in touch with investors, if that’s what you’re looking for, and you don’t always get that at other competitions.”
If FEMTAC is able to mass produce its product and sell it to law enforcement agencies, female officers will be able to perform their duties more efficiently and safely.
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