Meet the Founder

Hi, I’m Lia Moore, founder of Coolavo, former Division I volleyball athlete at Michigan State University, and someone who’s had to rewrite her own playbook more than once.

My journey to entrepreneurship wasn’t linear. While competing as a student-athlete at MSU, I was diagnosed with a heart condition that required two surgeries and ultimately brought my athletic career to an unexpected end. It was a tough and transformative chapter physically, mentally, and emotionally. But it also became the start of something new.

After stepping away from sports, I took time to travel and reconnect with who I was outside of being an athlete. Those travels weren’t just escapes; they became deeply healing experiences. But one thing always stood out to me on every trip was how uncomfortable and uninspired the travel gear often felt. That gap planted the seed for Coolavo.

Today, as a second-year MBA candidate at MSU, I’ve poured my personal experiences, creative drive, and business training into building a brand that brings both comfort and meaning. Coolavo’s mission is not only to elevate everyday travel through innovative, customizable cooling products but also to remind anyone who’s gone through something difficult: you can still build something beautiful.

Coolavo is about more than pillows. It’s about resilience, recovery, and creating products that make people feel seen, refreshed, and ready for what’s next.