Q&A with Hindi Zeidman, Founder of The Ollie World

Citybiz

Published  February 6, 2025

Source - Q&A with Hindi Zeidman, Founder of The Ollie World

Hindi Zeidman, MSW and founder of The Ollie World, created the first “Ollie” swaddle when she saw a gap in the market, as her 3-month old foster child Oliver struggled to sleep soundly, eat properly and reach developmental milestones.

Zeidman knew the importance of swaddling to keep infants in a calm state. She bought every swaddle on the market, and each came up short, until she developed her own prototype. The Ollie, with its state-of-the-art technology of varying loop sizes and moisture-wicking fabric, allows infants to feel snug on top, and loose on the bottom which enhances neurological development, creates positive sleep cues, decreases irritability while promoting self-soothing, allows for healthy hip development, makes diaper changes easier and so much more.

Tell us about how you got started – did you always want to be an entrepreneur for infant products? What are the steps you took to develop your first prototype?

Everything begins with my foster son, Oliver. He is the reason for creating the swaddle, as well as the reason I created my entire business. 

Several years ago, I decided to become a single foster parent because I was desperate to help a population that was so vulnerable and lacking the attention, care, and support that was and still is incredibly needed. I was working for the local county I live in helping to set up SART locations, which provided a multi-disciplinary approach to drug and trauma exposed little ones. It was my experience here and the cases I saw that motivated me to become a single foster parent. When Oliver came to me at just a couple months old, he had already been through more than most people could imagine. He was exposed in-utero to a cocktail of drugs and this tiny little baby had been moved around to three different foster homes before coming to me. He struggled with just the basics of eating and sleeping and was thus on the verge of being labeled failure-to-thrive. Even something that may sound as simple as making eye contact was too overwhelming and overstimulating for him.

Because of my experience, I was aware of the importance of swaddling. So, I literally went out and bought every single swaddle that existed on the market. To my dismay, nothing worked for my foster son. He would escape, overheat, or move in ways in which the fabric would then cover an airway. I couldn’t find anything to provide the proper security and containment his body needed. So, I set out to make something to meet Oliver’s needs, and that is when I created what turned out to be the first Ollie Swaddle prototype.

I remember so clearly the moment I used the prototype on him; it was like his body took a deep breath for the first time in his life. With his body and limbs being able to be properly contained, it allowed for opportunities for full feeds, much needed restful sleep, and eventually we even worked on attachment and bonding. I wish I could share that amazing little boy’s smile with you because it would light up the whole room. Seeing the impact the swaddle had on Oliver motivated me to share my creation with little ones all over the world.

How does infant safety inform your continued work with The Ollie World?

Infant safety is one of my core values in all that I do and create. I have long been involved in a group that focuses on global testing standards for baby products. One of the requirements is a washing test, which is a basic washing of the product to ensure it doesn’t fall apart. The group was going back and forth on whether the requirement should be 1 or 3 wash cycles. My testing includes 100 wash cycles.

Part of the struggle when I was looking for the right manufacturing partner is that my safety standards and specifications are so tight and rigid – I am not willing to be flexible. So, I had twenty plus manufacturers who said they could make my product, and out of that number, all failed but one – and that is my current partner.

I test from our custom fibers all the way to multiple 100% Quality Control checkpoints. Every single roll of fabric is tested both by hand and by a third party. We have a dedicated line of the most incredibly skilled and committed team who have their own rigid 100% QC checkpoints throughout the sewing process. We have a manufacturing 100% QC, and then I have a third party who does an additional 100% QC on all products. This even includes a delicates laundry bag that comes with the product, and even the keepsake box we ship in.

Also, all of our products are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class I certified. It is important to note that there are four classes under Standard 100, and that Class I is specifically for baby, as it is the most stringent.

What’s next for you and The Ollie World? What are your short and long term goals for the brand?

My hope is to continue to expand our reach and ability to give back to the foster care community, as well as provide support in hospitals, NICUs, and PICUs. I would also love to continue to create products and be able to expand outside of the baby category.

I’m hoping to expand to more adult centered items this year. I get so many requests for my fabric to be used for items (such as possibly pillowcases), that I am so excited to be able to launch. I have three new products that have been my top requested that will be launching this year. 

Also, I have been working on really understanding the ways I can play with my fabric and, as a result, I have been working on actually designing my own personal prints.

Anything else to add?

My Instagram community has been an integral part of my journey with this brand, and I love interacting with my followers (who I consider friends) on a daily basis. 

My hope is that I am also changing the conversation around motherhood and parenthood. After I had my daughter, I felt like I kept saying “How come no one told me?!”. And that is what pushed me to start sharing more because parenthood should not be a setup. It is a time when we need the most support and we need to find a way to change the entire conversation around it.