Alumna shares story of launching military women’s clothing brand on podcast

Oct 13, 2023

Haley McClain Hill created TORCH Warriorwear, the first military women's clothing brand specializing in base layer bodysuits women can wear in and out of uniform. Credit: Submitted by Haley McClain Hill. All Rights Reserved.

June 6, 2023

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the latest episode of Invent Penn State's "Dare to Disrupt" podcast, host Ryan Newman interviews Penn State alumna and former ROTC student Haley McClain Hill, CEO and founder of TORCH Warriorwear, a subscription, direct-to-consumer military apparel and lifestyle brand. A U.S. Air Force veteran who also was a cheerleader at Penn State and in the NFL, McClain Hill graduated from Penn State's University Park campus in 2018 with a degree in math.

During the podcast episode, McClain Hill shares her experiences leading a 300-person Air Force squadron during the pandemic, cheering in the NFL, and launching her apparel company, which aims to celebrate, empower and serve current and future women warriors.

"We’re developing our product line to really support every stage of your military career. There's a lot that goes on when you’re serving, and there's not a lot of products specifically for women," McClain Hill said during the podcast interview.

Her passion for dance, travel and empowering women and teams has allowed her to travel and experience the world, including cheering in front of 107,000 fans at Penn State, as well as professionally dancing for the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush.

McClain Hill hosted an interactive speaker session titled "Boots to Business" and was a participant in the "Female Entrepreneurs of Color Roundtable Discussion" event during Startup Week 2023.

Follow "Dare to Disrupt" on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to hear McClain Hill's story.

At the end of the episode, Amber Sanchez, a second-year student at Penn State, joins the conversation. She is the founder of clothing brand Whatever Apparel, which strives to inspire the youth to do "whatever" they dream of. McClain Hill talks to Sanchez about connecting with customers via social media and leading by example.

Students can apply or be nominated to be on the show here.

"Dare to Disrupt" is a podcast from Invent Penn State about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. The podcast is hosted by alumnus Ryan Newman, a graduate of the Smeal College of Business and a Schreyer Scholar alumnus who is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.

New episodes of "Dare to Disrupt" release monthly. Learn more at invent.psu.edu/dare-to-disrupt and follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success.

Katherine DeFiore

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