Breaking the fall: Shaer’s HipDigz business redefines volleyball safety

It started with bruises; it ended with innovation.
Freshman Lili Shaer is the founder of HipDigz, a company she created through the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) to sell padded volleyball shorts that reduce injury when diving. The idea for the business was born from her personal frustrations as a volleyball player.
“I started my business because I kept on injuring and bruising my hips when diving for the ball in volleyball, and I didn’t want to be in pain anymore,” Shaer said. “I started by putting hip padding into my shorts. I just took out the padding for my knee pads and put it into my shorts.”
When she joined YEA in the fall, she already had the bones of a business. In the months that followed, she worked through product development, pricing strategy, and long-term planning, slowly turning a personal fix into a professional pitch. According to program instructor and Costa English teacher Rachel Thomas, Shaer put just as much work into learning as Thomas put into teaching.
“[She] had a really strong business and a really great presence when [she] pitched her businesses,” Thomas said. “[She] thoroughly researched, thought out, and recreated prototypes for their products, [and was] able to show how she makes her business profitable.”
Her prototype, made by hand, was far from flashy, but it worked. By cutting open a pair of shorts and inserting foam padding, she created something simple but effective. Through testing and tweaking, Shaer started to see what it would take to bring HipDigz to market.
“I’m still doing all my research,” Shaer said. “[Right now] I’m doing everything by hand. I order a pair of shorts and get foam. I cut the inside of the short to make a pocket and fit the padding inside.”
Running a business came with its own learning curve. Cost margins, manufacturing timelines, and product sourcing weren’t part of her typical school day, but they quickly became keys to her success. For Shaer, entrepreneurship meant patience as much as innovation.
“It takes a lot of time. I didn’t think it would have been this long,” Shaer said. “You have to know how to work the numbers. You have to find the base products cheaper so you can try to make a profit.”
As she prepares to compete at the Saunders Scholars National Competition in May, Shaer is looking to grow. She’s finalizing a website, looking into manufacturing partners, and making plans to advertise at tournaments and games. Her business may still be in the early stages, but HipDigz already reflects the grit and creativity YEA has set out to inspire.
“The product is also innovative,” Thomas said of her creation. “[HipDigz] strength as a business is that nothing like it currently exists. It can be used for both boys and girls. It’s a simple, effective solution for safety in volleyball.”