Dream Big, Sleep Tight: Gonzaga Alum Reimagines the Birthday Tradition
Njal Lundberg (’06, ’08 MBA) is reinventing the beloved birthday tradition – one dream at a time. Her company, Modern Dreamers, brings back the magic of childhood wonder and celebrates the way our young spirits can dream forever.
A first-generation college graduate and a mother of four, Lundberg earned her accounting degree and an MBA from Gonzaga. Creative moments with her kids inspired Lundberg to reach out to her friend with a suggestion, changing their relationship status to business partners. A cup of coffee later, Lundberg and her friend were energized by the possibility of making slumber parties as enchanting as they are effortless.
And while the dream was to create a luxury experience with Modern Dreamers, the reality was anything but glamorous. Learning the basics of woodshop, teaching themselves how to sew – Lundberg and her partner Lili Klein were peers in the unconventional classroom known as YouTube. Graduating with extra credit, their dream of providing luxury slumber parties came to life in January 2021.
“I told myself I’d rather try and fail than never try at all,” Lundberg says.
The service-based business gained popularity, delighting local families and even acquiring traction relative to Hollywood. Within the first year, Lundberg’s business caught up with the Kardashians, hosting their slumber parties to celebrity standards.
Before Modern Dreamers found its stability, however, Lundberg describes the early stages of the business like a bouncy house rental. Customers paid for a one-night rental, knowing the slumber party was a short-lived luxury, as Lundberg’s team would return the next day to clean up and repossess their equipment. This kind of business had its challenges. Much like maneuvering through a deflated bouncy house, Lundberg was not bouncing as high as she desired.
That’s when she turned to the students in Gonzaga’s School of Engineering and Applied Science to design a tent that could be effortlessly set up by families themselves.
While the business was in its early stages, her partner stepped away to pursue other passions, so Lundberg proceeded independently, still driven and dreaming.
“You are twice as likely to reach a goal by writing it down.” Lundberg was driven by this mantra, a statistic, supporting the goal of Modern Dreamers. She stayed determined through hardships, evolving her product while attributing her grit and resilience to the education she received at Gonzaga.
For Lundberg, 2024 was a pivotal year spent creating different prototypes and solidifying the launch of The Modern Kit. Versatile and customizable sleepover kits are now available on Amazon and Etsy, patent pending. And the simple set-up of this kid-friendly luxury relieves parents’ stress over their children's expectations.
The Modern Kit continued to evolve the birthday tradition, making parties so magical they are guaranteed to be unforgettable, the talk of the playground until summer vacation. Blowing out the candles with a wish is now accompanied by the Dream Keeper activity, which prompts young spirits to physically write down and collect their dreams, the child’s manifestation and the parent’s keepsake.
Wishes are no longer blown away to secrecy by the candles.
Available for all ages, Lundberg believes our birthdays should be celebrated forever. While the Modern Dreamer Kit can be purchased online, Lundberg’s business also serves the local community in-person with over 25 themes, including a salute to the team spirit of Gonzaga.
In her hometown of Spokane, Lundberg writes down one more goal: for a GU-themed slumber party kit to be available in-store at the Zag Shop. Needless to say, she took humble strides within her business to leave a legacy. Modern Dreamers has 6–12-year-olds hungry to chase their dreams, so the cake chills in the fridge a little longer, and the candles are lit up to be a metaphor for the dreams sparking each new year. Let’s make it a tradition.