Students Undergrad Entrepreneur Wants Fellow Students to Sleep in Comfort Stories You May Like Alumna Reflects on her Role as a ‘Size Acceptance’ Pioneer Alums’ Installation at the Venice Biennale Evokes Rising Seas Slope Day 2025 in Photos The Dyson School’s Will Conway ’27 founded Expand-A-Bed, whose toppers make dorm (and home!) mattresses wider and softer By Melissa Newcomb When Will Conway ’27 matriculated at Virginia’s University of Richmond, he made an adjustment familiar to many first-year students: he left behind his home’s roomy bed for the narrower (and less comfy) one in his dorm. Seeking more space and cushioning, he rented a mattress topper and extender—and was shocked to see that it cost around $300 a semester. “I thought that I could make it less expensive,” says Conway, who transferred to Cornell as a junior and is majoring in applied economics and management in the Dyson School. “I wanted to build upon it and turn it into a product that, instead of a rental, I could sell directly to consumers.” Conway is the founder of Expand-A-Bed, an online business that sells mattress toppers that add eight inches of width to twin XL beds (a common dorm size), making them 46 inches wide. The topper adds layers of support on the outside edges of a twin XL mattress. Sold on its website and on Amazon, the toppers—made of a cooling gel memory foam with a removable, waterproof cover—cost $250. They’re shipped in reusable, vacuum-sealed bags that allow for easy transport and storage. The toppers are shipped in reusable, vacuum-sealed bags that allow for easy transport and storage. Once unpacked, the topper puffs up to its final shape in less than an hour. It’s installed in just a few minutes, by threading straps on either side through the bed frame, clipping them shut, and tightening them. (The mattress can then be covered with full XL sized sheets, which will be slightly roomy.) Stories You May Like Alumna Reflects on her Role as a ‘Size Acceptance’ Pioneer Alums’ Installation at the Venice Biennale Evokes Rising Seas Presenting at a product competition—where he took second place—in Virginia in summer 2025. Conway has a pending patent on the design of the toppers, which are manufactured in China. Prior to launching, he spent two years participating in business incubators, conducting more than 100 interviews with potential customers, and designing the product. Prior to launching, Conway spent two years participating in business incubators, conducting more than 100 interviews with potential customers, and designing the product. While the majority of sales are to fellow students, he says, a significant number of buyers use the topper in home guest rooms. “It was easy to set up, and the increase in width is noticeable and appreciated,” says an online review from a student at the University of New Hampshire. Expand-A-Bed in situ. “The combination of support and comfort from the foam layers is fantastic. I also appreciate how compact it is for storage when the semester ends.” Since launching in August 2025, Conway says, the business has made around $100,000 in revenue. Also, for every mattress sold, Expand-A-Bed donates a blanket to charity. While Conway has hired independent contractors to help with the company, he has otherwise run it solo while studying full time. Now in the midst of raising a second round of investment funds, he’s looking to take on a full-time staffer and to add a twin-sized version of his product that's geared toward the home market. “Sleeping on a tiny, rock-hard bed was awful,” Conway recalls. “I knew I wasn’t the only person with this problem, so it was time to dig in and get to work.” (All photos provided.) Published January 7, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni ‘Sheer Awe’: Recalling the Legendary Grateful Dead Concert of May ’77 Alumni Celebrating Big Red Pride—in June, and All Year Long Glorious to View After a Long, Cold Winter, Spring Has—Finally!—Sprung on the Hill