# Eric Mear

> Eric Mear is the founder and CEO of BYLT Basics, the Southern California apparel company launched in 2016. His earlier ventures include MISC and Privacy Pop. BYLT grew from a T-shirt business into a broader essentials brand, with retail expansion and a Bloomingdale’s wholesale initiative announced in 2026. Mear also founded the BYLT Foundation, which supports youth opportunity and community causes.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at BYLT Basics
- **Organizations:** BYLT Basics, Privacy Pop, MISC, BYLT Foundation
- **Education:** University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business
- **Known for:** Founded BYLT Basics in 2016., Co-inventor named on US design patent D681146 for a privacy bed tent., Privacy Pop won $5,000 in USC’s New Venture Competition in May 2012, according to a contemporary interview.

## Career timeline

- **2008** — Founded MISC; began attending USC Marshall School of Business.
- **2010** — Founded Privacy Pop; served as president and founder until March 2019.
- **2013** — Named with Kevin Sperry and Danny Ninete on US design patent D681146, Bed tent for privacy, assigned to Privacy Pop LLC.
- **2016** — Founded BYLT Basics. Sparkhouse separately reported that a Privacy Pop promotional video exceeded three million views in a month.
- **2022** — Eric and Michelle Mear received Wells of Life’s Corporate Partner of the Year award for BYLT Basics.
- **2023** — BYLT opened its first physical locations in Irvine and Newport Beach and announced a Rob Gronkowski partnership in November.
- **2024** — Alex Albon’s official website announced his BYLT partnership on November 24.
- **2025** — BYLT announced its first BYLT Open charity golf tournament, scheduled for April 11 at Pelican Hill, for LA wildfire relief and local charities.
- **2026** — BYLT announced broader retail and wholesale expansion; Edward Charles Foundation identified Mear as founder of the BYLT Foundation.

## Achievements

- Founded BYLT Basics in 2016.
- Co-inventor named on US design patent D681146 for a privacy bed tent.
- Privacy Pop won $5,000 in USC’s New Venture Competition in May 2012, according to a contemporary interview.
- Received Wells of Life’s 2022 Corporate Partner of the Year award with Michelle Mear for BYLT Basics.
- Led BYLT as it expanded from ecommerce into physical retail; the company reported 15 locations in April 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — A publicly archived October 8 founder-branded BYLT email marked the company’s tenth anniversary.
- **2026-06** — Edward Charles Foundation promoted a June 13 BYLT Foundation golf tournament and described the foundation’s youth opportunity mission.
- **2026-04** — BYLT reported 15 stores, announced plans for seven more during 2026 and a Brooklyn opening in Q1 2027, and outlined a wholesale initiative with Bloomingdale’s. These were plans as of April 20.

## Links

- Website: https://byltbasics.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-mear-352a7a48/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericmear/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/eric-mear
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-20