About Doctor Wei-Shin Lai
Dr. Wei-Shin Lai graduated with honors from the University of Michigan in Cellular Molecular Biology and from the University of Virginia Medical School. While taking patient calls at night in private practice, she had trouble getting back to sleep. Wanting to listen to relaxing music to help her sleep, she and her now husband, Jason Wolfe, invented headphones that can be worn comfortably in bed. The invention started off as a side hustle but soon became very successful. They patented SleepPhones® headphones, set up AcousticSheep LLC, and grew the business. In 2014, Dr. Lai retired from family practice to focus on being CEO of an internationally-recognized leading brand with millions of sales to over 80 countries. SleepPhones® headphones have even been to Antarctica. In her spare time, Dr. Lai enjoys volunteering at her kids' school, making balloon animals, glitter tattooing, and face painting.
Specific areas of expertise:
- Family medicine
- Sleep medicine
- Infectious diseases, public health, and epidemiology
- Product invention
- Entrepreneurship
- Small business
- Exporting
Dr. Lai is frequently invited to speak on the topics of entrepreneurship and exporting. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she provided infection control and epidemiology insight for her local business community. She also created a popular free sewing design for a face mask with a nose wire and for people with beards. She has appeared on TV, newspapers, radio stations, QVC, and numerous podcasts. She was featured in Kiplingers and Apple Daily. AcousticSheep LLC was the Small Business of the Year through the Small Business Administration, Consumer Technology Association, Ernst & Young, Pennsylvania ImPAct Award, and EXIM Bank.