Hästens and world-class tennis champion Maria Sharapova partner to launch Sleep to Perform, a talent program aimed at supporting the next generation of leaders across industries

KÖPING, Sweden, Sept. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- For over 170 years, Hästens has been dedicated to delivering extraordinary sleep experiences, enhancing people's lives with exceptional awake time and contributing to making the world a better, more peaceful, more joyful and loving place. To further this mission, the world's leading bed brand is teaming up with celebrated athlete and entrepreneur Maria Sharapova to launch the Sleep to Perform talent program with five selected talents across Culinary Arts, Fashion, Sports, and Visual Arts. Throughout her prolific tennis career, Sharapova understood how important it was to calibrate all aspects of performance in order to win on the court and, in partnership with Hästens, wants to ensure that emerging leaders benefit from the best possible sleep in their own pursuits of excellence.

Sharapova is a world-class tennis champion who won five Grand Slam Titles, an Olympic medal, and over 30 WTA events throughout her illustrious career. Her on-court success led to a trailblazing career in business; Sharapova became an entrepreneur early in her career, partnering and investing in a variety of companies while still in her playing days. Since retiring from professional tennis in 2020, Sharapova has focused her energy on sharing the lessons she learned and expertise she garnered throughout her 20+ year on-court career to help others achieve elite performance in their own lives. A visionary leader and a respected guide, Sharapova hopes to be a wellspring of motivation for new leaders through this program and partnership with Hästens.

Hästens and Sharapova will join forces to inspire and support a handpicked group of talents within a range of fields by providing them with the opportunity and support to feel and perform their best each day to grow their future potential. The program is founded and built on the notion that quality sleep helps people create the life they dream of upon waking, by providing benefits to both the body as well as the soul. Maria has insightfully reflected on these important synergies herself as a dedicated Hästens customer for many years.

"My love for Hästens goes back to 2004 when I went to the store in Los Angeles with my first big paycheck from a tournament I won. I had the most amazing experience. It was quite an investment at the time for me, but nonetheless, I still sleep on that bed to this day, so it shows how much love I have for Hästens beds and passion and history. I am fascinated by the process of how beds are made because of the exceptional quality that it represents."

"Sleep is essential to performance regardless of industry or where people may be in their careers. My first big purchase after a tournament win was a Hästens mattress and even though it was an investment, it was one of the most important purchases of my career. As I focus my post-playing career on helping others achieve elite performance in their lives, I wanted to partner with Hästens to help broaden the way we think about performance with the understanding of how vital sleep is to everyone in every industry."

Jan Ryde, fifth-generation owner, CEO of Hästens, and author of the international bestseller When Business Is Love, said there is a great alignment between Sharapova and Hästens: "At Hästens, we are on a mission to make the world a better place and make people's lives better by providing the best beds and adjacent products for sleep. Collaborating with Maria Sharapova on the Sleep to Perform program is an amazing opportunity for everyone involved. Her unwavering dedication to excellence and performance perfectly aligns with our values and vision. We are excited to support these talented individuals and showcase the profound impact of quality sleep on achieving one's full potential."

The Sleep to Perform program will begin this Autumn, with Hästens providing products and support to the selected talents. Follow their journey to see how quality sleep enhances their performance and creativity.

Meet the Talent
The program will support the following talents:

Culinary Arts:
Flynn McGarry: an American chef based in New York City. He is known for being a young restaurant owner in Manhattan, opening a successful restaurant named Gem at the tender age of nineteen.

Visual Arts: 
Emma Webster: a British-American painter. She refabricates nature from still life models and scenographic studies using VR technology.

Ian Padgham: a California-born, France-based artist who is a prominent figure in the world of social media art, renowned for his creative use of platforms like Vine and Instagram. His work merges traditional artistry with modern technology, resulting in a unique and engaging digital art form.

Sports:
Jamie Chadwick: a British racing driver who races for Andretti Global in Indy NXT and the first woman to win an ‪Indy NXT race since 2010. She is also a development driver for the Williams Formula One team.

Fashion:
Priya Ahluwalia: a designer and founder of the multi award-winning label Ahluwalia. Ahluwalia represents the intersection between near and far, past and present, taking elements of her dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and London roots.

About Hästens
Hästens is dedicated to delivering extraordinary sleep to people worldwide so they can be their best and create the future they dream of upon waking. That's why our master craftsmen in Köping, Sweden, consider and handcraft every detail of our bespoke beds using the finest natural materials. 

Our story started in 1852, and we are proud to be a world-class international family-run business operating in over 45 countries and a Purveyor to the Royal Court of Sweden. We have over 250 independent resellers in Europe, Asia, America, and Africa and continue to enter new markets.

SOURCE Hästens