Founder · HappyFeet Slippers

Pat Yates. Operator first.

HappyFeet Slippers has been family-run since 1996. In 2002 Pat bought a single mall slipper cart from his family and grew it into a multi-million-dollar brand, from $22K in web sales to well over $3M. Along the way: the Shark Tank, licensed products with the biggest names in sports and entertainment, a seat on the sell side at Quiet Light, and a software company, TraceLot ↗.

Visit Yates Advisors TraceLot The Shark Tank story

The record

Multiple businesses. Thirty years.

Operator · 2002–now HappyFeet Slippers Mall cart to national brand. Kiosks, Amazon, DTC and 5,000+ SKUs of officially licensed slippers, resold and custom manufactured with license holders. ABC · Season 5 · 2014 Shark Tank Three sharks made offers. Pat made a deal with Robert Herjavec, and the partnership opened the door to DreamWorks. Senior Advisor Quiet Light Senior Advisor. Seller-side M&A for online businesses: ecommerce, content, SaaS and digital services. Founder · 2025–now TraceLot Batch, lot and expiry tracking for Veeqo and Shopify sellers. FEFO allocation, recall readiness, audit-proof records. Live, priced and shipping. Founder Yates Advisors Builds and harvests enterprise value for owner-operated businesses: what it's worth, what would make it worth more, and who buys it.

Licenses worked with

Disney
Marvel
DreamWorks
NFL
NBA
MLB
NCAA
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

"I've launched multiple businesses, built and scaled several, licensed with the biggest brands there are, gone into the Shark Tank, and built a software company, with more to come."
Pat Yates

The path

1996HappyFeet Slippers starts as a family business in Louisville, Kentucky.
2002Pat buys a single mall slipper cart from his family and starts building the brand.
2014Pitches on ABC's Shark Tank, Season 5, and makes a deal with Robert Herjavec.
2015Signs DreamWorks Animation: Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon.
2018Launches Disney slippers with 30+ styles.
2025Founds TraceLot ↗, live software for batch, lot and expiry tracking.
TodayRuns HappyFeet, advises sellers at Quiet Light, builds TraceLot ↗ and leads Yates Advisors.