Lauren Aitch

Lauren Aitch graduated from Michigan State University in 2010 with her master's degree in Public Relations following her undergraduate degree in Advertising and Design. Following in her father's footsteps, she played basketball throughout college and, after graduating, had the opportunity to play for a year in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"Family is vital to me," said Lauren. "My father played basketball at Michigan State, so that was something that I truly enjoyed getting to do too." 

Lauren's father taught her a lot about basketball. He also taught her a lot about life. "One of the things he always instilled in me is that basketball is a vehicle. It wasn't who I was, but I could use the opportunities it provided to help find my identity and walk in the places I wanted to go," Lauren said.

While in Copenhagen, Lauren explored her passion for fashion design. As a six-foot-two-inch woman, she often struggled to find clothes that fit and made her feel comfortable and confident. So, she decided to tackle this problem head-on by starting her own custom womenswear business called Lady Aitch.

"Custom apparel for women is probably one of the hardest industries to break into. So, being in the fashion space, I gained a lot of knowledge that helped me maneuver into the undergarment business that I'm currently in," said Lauren.

During her early fashion design days, she learned that women wanted to look their best while focusing on functionality as an essential component. After speaking with her former head coach, she found that sweating through formal garments was a big problem. So, Lauren pivoted into making undergarments.

"To be an entrepreneur, you have to always pay attention to what consumers need — you have to be able to adapt," Lauren said.

Her venture transformed into Human Base Apparel, a unisex brand of functional and comfortable undergarments customized for people in different lines of work, from health care to law enforcement.
Lauren's entrepreneurial adaptation skill has served her company exceptionally well during the pandemic. Not only have they started to make antibacterial and antiviral garments, but they have identified other business opportunities.

"We've been reaching out to individuals that we've worked with to see how we can be of assistance. We've been asking how we can support other companies within our industry, how we can be a resource," said Lauren.

But Lauren isn't asking questions like that related solely to her startup; she's asking them in all aspects of her life. Her curiosity and drive to be of service to others have come full circle and back to MSU, where she has become a resource for entrepreneurial students.

Alongside her business pursuits, Lauren started a foundation in memory of her father, The Aitch Foundation, which focuses on cancer detection research. The foundation has been able to fund four $30,000 fellowships at MSU every year — investments that have already contributed to significant breakthroughs in cancer research.

Lauren is also deeply involved with MSU's student athletics and entrepreneurship programs. She is the co-president of the Varsity "S" Club, connecting former Spartan athletes to current student-athletes. Lauren also represents Michigan State University on the Big 10 advisory committee. She serves as a mentor to students who are starting their own companies at the Burgess Institute and engages in faith-based study with the women's basketball team.

"My faith is a big part of who I am. It's taught me the importance of giving back to the communities that have given so much to me. I'm staying involved with Michigan State with my roles now," said Lauren.

Lauren finds coming back to Michigan State empowering. She's getting to help student-athletes and entrepreneurs, removing the barriers for others that she initially faced in fashion and design.

"It's important that when we as individuals grow and find success, we reach back to others and offer our help," she said.