SCORE Mentor Helps Yoga Mat Creator Find Her Zen

After surviving a near-death accident that left Donna Lee unable to walk for six months, she recuperated with a new lease on life.

“Remember, You Only Live Once” became her motto. She took the words to heart after a Father’s Day 2018 freak accident caused her to fall under her car while it moved over her in reverse. Her broken pelvis and broken ribs competed in terms of pain. Her five-day hospitalization paled in comparison to the year it took for her to return to the mat for her beloved Yoga and Pilates practices.

“I’m happy that it happened,” Lee said, of her new outlook on life. “I think I needed that to happen to me. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now if it hadn’t happened.”

Since January 2020, Lee, post-recovery, has created and patented a machine-washable and dryable yoga mat through her company, R-YOLO. The mats, which are manufactured in the U.S., are made from a Turkish towel, and padding is stitched into the middle, with a paper-thin, non-slip, toxic-free rubber layer on the bottom.

Lee’s journey to health and mindfulness began in 2014, eventually leading to her six-day-a-week yoga practice at a club near her Harvard home. Dissatisfied with the existing rubber mats that can’t be thoroughly washed, and which contain carcinogenic chemicals, Lee constantly thought “there’s got to be something better out there.”

When she conducted her patent research, the project manager by day learned that there was nothing like her prototype on the market.

“Why hasn’t somebody else invented this?” Lee recalled thinking. “Because it was meant for me to do.”

In an effort to reach a larger audience, Lee participated in SCORE’s 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition. SCORE is a national nonprofit organization that supports small businesses through free mentoring.

More than 2,200 small businesses applied to compete in five pitch events. Contestants were pared down to 60 contenders. Participants were matched with SCORE mentors to refine their pitches, strengthen their presentations, and hone their business plans.

Leading up to the competition, Lee, who was one of 45 finalists, teamed with SCORE Southeastern Massachusetts mentor Tony Fiore, who has since accompanied her on road trips to meet potential manufacturers.

“She makes this luxurious yoga mat,” he said. “Everybody that sees it sort of falls in love with it.”

Fiore, who continues to work with Lee, is helping her find partners.

Together, Lee and Fiore completed a 40-page business plan for R-YOLO, which she hopes will help her secure a microloan.

“He’s really helpful with pulling all the necessary pieces together,” she said, adding that he’s introduced her to a CPA, as well as a local Chamber of Commerce.

For Lee, who prides herself on being “a really good networker,” Fiore’s connections have been as beneficial as the ones she’s made serendipitously. While in California for a yoga expo in 2022, she found her way into a store where swag bags are made for the Oscars. Before she knew it, she was asked to contribute yoga mats for 100 Oscars swag bags.

“I got to go out and meet all these amazing stars and participate in this event,” Lee said. “This journey I’ve been on has really been pretty impressive.”

The Oscars spotlight led to a wholesale deal with Canyon Ranch, a wellness resort and spa.

After putting a “message out to the universe,” Lee met actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow more recently at a health and wellness seminar in Los Angeles.

“I’m just sending an energy bullet out there. I need to meet her,” Lee recalled, adding that she stood up from a neck massage, walked to the right for the next station and happened upon Paltrow. “She’s lovely. You wouldn’t even know she’s a celebrity.”

Lee didn’t let the opportunity pass without telling Paltrow about the mat and gifting her with one.

“She met me,” Lee said. “She knows I’m the face of the mat.”

Looking ahead, Lee hopes to build a relationship with a high-end hotel, as well as Turkish Airlines.

“This is the year of hopes and aspirations,” Fiore said. “Now we’ve got to solidify it.”

To learn more about SCORE, request a mentor or volunteer to be one, visit score.org.

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow, or successfully exit a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources, and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories. Visit SCORE at score.org