80 Mattresses, One Mission: Sleeptronic x The FAM Partner to Support UHP Veterans Campus

Walking out of LAX, I looked up from my Uber app and saw a guy in a black hat. I recognized his face. I could've sworn I met him at a block party back home in Bentonville.

I'd flown to Southern California to teach an AI course to more than 50 executives at Sit 'n Sleep, the powerhouse mattress retailer.

I walked up to the familiar face and said, "Do you live in Bentonville?"

"Yeah, I do," he said surprised.

That was Matt Hesse, the CEO of the University of Health and Performance (UHP), an 800 acre campus for veterans set in the rolling Ozark hills in northwest Arkansas. He was in town for their annual fundraiser golf tournament.

Right there on the sidewalk at LAX, where two travel paths happened to cross, we started talking about veterans, sleep, and two missions that needed to connect.

Four months later, I found myself at the UHP campus helping to unload a Sleeptronic truck filled with donated mattresses.

Mission Meets Mattresses

UHP is the only veterans transition and health education institution in the world. It's a place where veterans learn to work and lead in purpose-driven careers.

Veterans come from all over the country to earn GI Bill–approved certifications in personal training, integrative health coaching, and culinary nutrition. And the campus is expanding its programming beyond fitness and nutrition into the skilled trades: HVAC, welding, plumbing, electrical, heavy equipment operation, and more.

Beyond the certifications, UHP is focused on overall health and wellness, connection, community, and purpose.

Matt explained that military members often lose something when they leave active service. Inside branches like the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines they find camaraderie, purpose, structure, and support. In the civilian world, a lot of that evaporates. UHP exists to help veterans rebuild, reset, and create a positive trajectory for their careers and lives. They earn real certifications, build confidence, and find support they didn't know they needed.

The Blueprint

At the core of UHP is something they call The Blueprint — four pillars that anchor every course on campus:

The Blueprint is a framework for life that helps veterans coach themselves first, get clear on their values, and walk off that campus with a plan.

Where Sleep Comes In

On a sunny spring afternoon, I met up with Matt, and he took me through the path and vision that created UHP. Plus, I was honored to get a sneak peek into the future of the program. His words and vision ignited my imagination and stirred my soul.

As he unpacked the plans for UHP, Matt mentioned that every veteran who attends a program wears a WHOOP fitness tracker. The UHP staff can evaluate how students are sleeping, how they're recovering, where they're stressed, and when they're thriving. And UHP is intentional about moving those numbers in the right direction.

That's when I perked up even more. I've spent most of my career in the mattress industry, and I know how much a mattress and good sleep can improve a person's recovery, mood, and performance. I asked how they were planning to outfit the expansion with new mattresses?

At that time, UHP was focused on building new bunks equipped with upgraded privacy and comfort, but there wasn't a set plan for new mattresses. "If it's okay with you," I said to Matt, "I'd love to make a few calls and see if we can provide UHP with high-quality mattresses to help veterans get great sleep while they're working on this next chapter of their lives."

I made one phone call to my friend Riz Sunderji, the president of Sleeptronic, located in Dallas. I've been to Riz's family's factory. I know his brothers Alim and Jam, and their incredible Vice President of Sales, Anthony Klatt. Most of all, I know their heart for helping. I gave Riz the rundown about UHP, the veterans, the campus, and the need. Riz didn't hesitate. It was an enthusiastic, immediate yes. He and his team wanted to help.

April 9, at the Gate

A few weeks later, on April 9, I drove 40 minutes outside of downtown Bentonville (where I live), to the UHP campus. I met up with Luke Rayfield — an incredible leader who, during his time in the Navy, was selected to serve at the Presidential Retreat, Camp David, where he led guest operations for the President, First Family, and international dignitaries, overseeing elite service teams and setting the standard for world-class hospitality in one of the most secure and prestigious environments in the world. He now brings that same standard to UHP every day.

Together we hopped into a side-by-side and motored to the entrance of the property while Mike Shea, UHP's top-notch Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager, mobilized their talented video crew to capture all the mattress moments and tell the story of this unique partnership.

As we crested the hill, there it was: a sparkling black-and-white Sleeptronic truck, packed with 80 mattresses bound for the bunks where veterans stay during their time at UHP.

The mattresses themselves are quality pieces of craftsmanship — 10.5 inches thick, fabric-encased coils and specialty foam — the kind of support-and-pressure-relieving combination built for a body that's been training, learning, growing, and reflecting all day long. Exactly what these veterans have earned.

We formed a shuttle-style assembly line with pickup trucks moving the mattresses from the semi while the UHP team and I filled the dorms with brand new beds.

As we laughed and unloaded and set up all the sleep sets, I felt proud. Proud of our industry, proud of the veterans and their families, proud of Matt and his amazing team at UHP, and proud to play a small role.

A Big Thank You

To Riz Sunderji and the entire Sleeptronic family — thank you for saying yes, for stepping up to the plate without hesitation, and for showing what it looks like when a great company leads with action and heart.

To Matt Hesse and the entire team at UHP — thank you for your vision, your leadership, and for letting us be part of supporting the men and women who have already given so much to this country. The work you're doing is remarkable and it's going to keep making an impact for generations to come.

And to The FAM family — this is what we're here for. We connect dots. We make calls. We show up on gravel driveways on a Thursday morning and help great companies continue great missions.