Former MSU women’s basketball center Lauren Aitch is now the founder and CEO of two companies — Lady Aitch Designs, which creates suits for women, and Our Own, which creates undershirts for public service workers such as police officers, fire fighters and military personnel.
She received a 10 Over the Next Ten award on Tuesday night at the University Club at MSU, hosted by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, or LRCC, and Grand River Connection for her work off the court.
The event celebrates young individuals in the Lansing area who the LRCC expect to make contributions in the Lansing community during the next 10 years. Nominees have to be 35 years old or younger and are judged on their professional achievements, community involvement and personal success.
“I didn’t know I was going to receive this award, but I’m very honored,” Aitch said.
This is the first time Aitch has recieved the 10 Over the Next Ten award.
“I think it’s awesome because all of the people who were honored are people that are really doing things in the community,” Aitch said. “I thought it was an amazing event.”
Founding two companies, Aitch keeps herself very busy.
“I’m a person who likes to push the limits, I’m not scared to try new things,” Aitch said. “I think where I’m at right now, I’m in a really good creative space. ... I’m just really excited to bring more wearable technology to the community, different things like that as well as my (Aitch) foundation.”
The Aitch Foundation raises money and awareness for early cancer detection through community involvement, fashion shows and sporting events, according to the Aitch Foundation website. One of the events, the Hidden Key Fashion Show, takes places at Spartan Stadium.
Aitch, who is also currently a designer-in-residence for The Runway in Lansing, credits reaching this point in her life to what she learned while playing basketball at MSU and professionally in Copenhagen, Denmark.
“Basketball involves a lot of discipline, and being a student-athlete involves a lot of discipline,” Aitch said. “One of the things I like to rollover (to life after basketball) — this may sound kind of cliche — in basketball every day you won or you lost, meaning in the game or in practice.”
Aitch said she translates that into her business world, which helps her stay on and complete tasks.
“I know that those wins or losses at the end, don’t really matter at the championship,” Aitch said. “All your work builds up to that and I know that practice, I know that even if you lose, that (won’t mean) the next day is not going to bring you a win.”
MSU alumna Angela Minicuci, another recipient and currently the communications director for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in Lansing, shared similar views with Aitch about the award.
“We’re standing in a room with some of the most important people, to me, in the community,” Minicuci said. “To be counted among them is an incredible opportunity and I feel like we have probably mid-Michigan’s best talent for keeping this area going for the next decades.”
