VentureMom

Daphne Mitchell – Whale Island Press

She had been representing stationery lines for years and never dreamed the she would have her own line. Daphne Mitchell’s friend had pulled her into the paper business when her kids were babies, but it was another friend that sent her down a different path.

Tori Samuel is an illustrator who created drawings around letters. She made baby gifts spelling out the name of the new born with her innovative letter drawings. When Daphne saw Tori’s creations she had an idea. “Tori’s work was so unique and well received, I felt there was an opportunity to create our own line of stationery.”

Because Daphne had been retailing lines,…

Michelle Jaffee – Sweet & Simple

When she turned 40, she treated herself to a culinary class making pastries. Michelle Jaffee had always loved baking but three kids had kept her from her passion. She remembers how her love of baking developed, “My mom helped me bake my first cake when I was six – a carrot cake! – in a wood burning stove. Before my mom was a baker, my grandma was a baker. It seemed like she was always making a cake with her white Kitchenaid mixer to bring to someone’s house. At Christmas, she sent her very, very crisp, thin cookies layered between waxed paper in a box wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine.”

Allyson Downey & Melissa Post – weeSpring

The first time she walked into a Babies R Us, she burst into tears. Allyson Downey recalls what happened, “I looked up at a ten-foot wall of baby bottles and saw it as a metaphor for how completely unprepared I was to be a parent. So when I got home, I started sending emails to my friends: what kind of car seat do you have? What diapers do you use? Do I need to be able to collapse an umbrella stroller with one hand? As my inbox flooded with advice from my in-the-trenches friends, I started to feel a little less overwhelmed… and a little bit more ready.”

Allyson remembers thinking…

Raquel Garcia – Jewelry Designs

Her third daughter Nina, inspired her to create her first piece of jewelry. Raquel Garcia was looking for a symbol of her daughter’s autism to wear as a show of love and support. “I created a necklace with a puzzle piece, the universal sign for autism. ” Friends and family loved the creation and wanted their own. Raquel is also an accomplished interior designer attributing her love for design to her father who had an intense love of art and culture. She was able to bring this creative enthusiasm to her jewelry design.

Raquel’s design process is personalized and custom for each client. “One of my strengths as a designer…

Pamela K. Pik – College Counseling

With a high school student trying to choose the right college, Pam Pik decided, like so many mothers of juniors, that she needed to educate herself on the process. That pursuit of knowledge led her to a venture. She has now started her own consulting business for parents and kids who want that extra input and guidance in choosing and getting into a college.

Pam quickly realized how confusing and stressful the drill can be. Most high school counselors are very competent but many work with too many children to give each the extensive, individualized attention students need. Pam also discovered, like most moms of teenagers, that many kids have…

Heather Bauer – Bestowed Boxes

She had been a nutritionist her entire career but how could she scale a single service venture? Heather Bauer started her work life at a hospital and then a health club. Her duties were to help employees and clients make healthy diet choices. Her passion for nutrition led her to write her first book, The Wall Street Diet. It was published when her first child was only four months old. “This was a crazy time.”

But she was now a recognized nutritional author. Four years later when her twins were born, her second book, Bread is the Devil, was put out. “I like to say that over the last 12 years, I’ve helped 1000s of people lose 1000s of pounds.” …

VentureMom Panel this Wednesday in Fairfield, CT

When a Mom Starts a Business Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 10:00am – 11:30am The Pequot Library, Fairfield, CT
Moderated by Holly Hurd of VentureMom
• Learn the five things mom entrepreneurs have in common
• Hear from moms who are currently running their own ventures
• Have great fun and be inspired even if you don’t want to start a business
• Ideal for anyone who has questions about how to turn a hobby into a venture
• Take a current business to the next level

Topics will include picking the right name, marketing, and using social media to build your brand. The panel will consist of several local venturemoms. Audience members who have…

Darcy Ahl – IZUP Phone App

“In my wildest dreams I never thought I’d be a software entrepreneur.” So how did Darcy Ahl go from riding with her 16 year old son on Hwy 95, to running a start-up company? It was an experience she had when her son had his learner’s permit. He was driving and Darcy was a passenger when both of their phones rang. Darcy answered hers to speak with a client and her son didn’t hesitate before fumbling in his pocket to retrieve his phone. His driving immediately became erratic and dangerous, causing Darcy to hang up and ask her son to do the same.

Returning to her office, Darcy sat down across from her partner at the executive recruiting firm where…

Cheryl MacCluskey – the eOil

In her Bikram yoga class, she noticed women putting drops of oil on the edges of their mats and wondered why. Cheryl MacCluskey learned that the women were using essential oils for the calming effects created by the aromas. She went on a quest to learn more about the oils and their healing effects.

“I’ve always been a health nut and practiced yoga every day.” Cheryl discovered that over 4000 years ago, the Greeks used essential oils for medicinal purposes. She also didn’t like the list of chemicals she found in the beauty products she was using every day. So she decided to create her own line of skin care products…

Christina Boyle Cush – Sea Glass Communications

In the summer of 2012, a temporary job as the Editorial Director of a national parenting magazine sounded great after ten years of climbing the editorial ladder of national publications in NYC, followed by ten years of freelance writing and editing. Christina loved the fill-in job, but when they offered it to her on a permanent basis, she said no. She didn’t love the commute to NYC. However, she says, the position ignited her passion to start a new venture.

With several ideas on the front burner, Christina explored all of her options. She wanted flexibility given that she has 9-year-old boy/girl twins and a 12-year-old daughter. She focused on what she knew best—writing, networking and helping people get their…