The Actress Who Built a Lingerie Brand with a Mission
Sofia Vergara is known to most of the world as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family — the highest-paid actress on American television for multiple years running. What fewer people know is that in 2018, she co-founded EBY, an intimate apparel company built on a premise that no lingerie brand had tried before: every purchase funds microfinance loans for women in developing countries.
It is one of the most unusual business models in the history of underwear.
The Colombian Road
Born in 1972 in Barranquilla, Colombia, Vergara's path to lingerie entrepreneurship was spectacularly indirect. She was discovered on a Colombian beach by a photographer, modeled in her teens, survived a thyroid cancer diagnosis at 28, immigrated to the United States, and became the biggest Latina star in American television history.
Her wealth and fame gave her something most lingerie founders lack: a platform. When she decided to enter the intimate apparel business, she did not need to build brand awareness. She already had it.
The EBY Concept
Vergara co-founded EBY with Renata Black, a social entrepreneur with experience in microfinance. The brand's model is distinctive:
- EBY sells underwear and intimates through a subscription and direct-to-consumer model
- 10% of every sale funds microfinance loans for women entrepreneurs in developing countries
- The loans help women in places like Colombia, Haiti, and India start and grow small businesses
- The underwear itself is designed for comfort and fit, with a seamless construction and a range of inclusive sizes
The concept merges commerce and philanthropy in a way that feels genuine rather than performative. Vergara did not add a charitable component to an existing business — she built the business around the charitable mission.
The Product
EBY's products are engineered for practicality:
- Seamless construction that eliminates visible panty lines
- No-roll waistband technology
- Sizes ranging from XS to 4XL
- Subscription boxes delivered monthly with new styles
- Materials selected for breathability and durability
The brand occupies a specific niche: it is not luxury lingerie and it is not fast fashion. It is quality everyday underwear sold at a mid-market price point, with a social mission attached.
The Empowerment Model
As of recent reporting, EBY has funded over $1 million in microfinance loans to women entrepreneurs. The impact is tangible:
- Women in developing countries receive loans to start businesses — food stalls, textile shops, agricultural enterprises
- The loans are structured for repayment, creating a sustainable cycle rather than one-time charity
- EBY tracks and reports on the outcomes of funded businesses
- Customers receive updates about the women their purchases have supported
Why It Works
The EBY model works because it aligns self-interest with altruism. Customers are not asked to donate — they are asked to buy underwear they need anyway. The charitable component is built into the price, not added as a guilt-driven surcharge.
Vergara's celebrity amplifies the message. When the highest-paid actress on television says she cares about women's economic empowerment, people listen. Her Colombian heritage adds authenticity — she understands the economic realities of developing countries firsthand.
Why She Matters
Sofia Vergara proved that a lingerie brand can be built on something other than sex appeal or luxury aspiration. EBY sells comfort, convenience, and conscience. It is not the most glamorous lingerie brand in the world. But it may be the most purposeful.
From Colombian beach discovery to America's highest-paid actress to lingerie entrepreneur. Sofia Vergara built EBY to prove that underwear can change the world — one microloan at a time.