Sloane Barry ’18 strikes $100,000 “Shark Tank” deal for SOMNIA+

Sloane Barry ’18 struck a $100,000 deal on ABC’s “Shark Tank” with Barbara Corcoran, earning praise from fellow panelists, including Chip and Joanna Gaines, for a product designed to make college dorm beds more comfortable.

Barry and her SOMNIA+ co-founder, Brennan Hellmers, appeared on the Jan. 28 episode to present their Dorm Bed Expander Kit, which increases the width of standard twin XL dorm beds by 25 percent.

“What makes SOMNIA+ so amazing is its tool-free, quick installation process that expands your bed in minutes,” Barry told the panelists. “With 8 million dorm beds in the U.S., there’s a massive opportunity here.”

The concept traces back to Barry’s own college experience. A lifelong side sleeper, she often felt as though she were on the verge of rolling off her narrow dorm mattress. Years later, while reminiscing about college life, she and Hellmers returned to that familiar frustration and asked a simple question: Why hasn’t anyone fixed this?

The next day, they went to Home Depot to gather materials and build an early prototype. After refining the design, they tested it with students at a nearby college campus. What began as a small project evolved into a manufactured, patent-pending product now sold to students nationwide.

From the beginning, the goal was practicality. The kit was designed to be tool-free and easy to assemble, with stabilizing components to prevent shifting and storage features that simplify move-out.

When Barry and Hellmers stepped onto the soundstage, they pitched to Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Daniel Lubetzky, Lori Greiner and guest sharks Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Several panelists praised the product’s originality. Joanna Gaines said she loved that the founders had “solved a problem,” adding that she would purchase the kit for her own daughter. Greiner called it a “smart product” and “unique and different.” After competing offers, Barry negotiated directly with Corcoran and secured the $100,000 investment.

The founders spent weeks rehearsing their pitch and preparing for rapid-fire questions. Although only a portion of their time in the Tank aired, some of the most impactful feedback came during the extended discussion. Barry pointed to Greiner’s warning about the steep margins of certain large online retail partnerships, advice that influenced how SOMNIA+ evaluated future growth opportunities.

Since the episode aired, Barry said the most significant impact has been increased credibility.

“When you’re building a new category in dorm essentials, especially at a higher price point, trust really matters,” she said. “We’ve seen a meaningful lift in website conversion rates, which reflects increased confidence from customers.”

Barry credits her time at Culver Academies, particularly in The Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur and Honors in Entrepreneurial Studies, with shaping how she approached building the company. Culver Academies is an elite leadership-oriented boarding school.

“The Rubin School helped demystify business,” she said. “It showed me that companies are built by people learning as they go, which gave me confidence to pursue SOMNIA+ later on.”

That perspective continues to guide her approach today.

Her advice to students considering entrepreneurship reflects that same philosophy:

“You don’t need the perfect idea to get started,” she said. “You just need an idea and the willingness to take the first step.”