#mominvented

Here at zulily, we know a mother’s creativity and will-power knows NO bounds. That’s why we're featuring some amazing mom-inventors in fabulous event beginning on Sun, 2/22. Through inspiration from their own experience as mothers, these women have come up with some ingenious products. We spoke with them about their unique inspirations & future aspirations.  

Mom-Inventor: Lauran Lang

Company: Imagine Baby

Product: The Shade

Inspiration:

Lauran’s two boys, Jacob (6 years old) and Lucas (4 yearsold) were the inspiration behind her invention. She was always on the go with them as babies in their infant car seats,using chip clips to keep their covering blankets from blowing off.  She quickly realized this was not the mostfunctional, or fashionable, way to cover and protect them.  Lauran set out to create what she thoughtwould be the perfect infant car seat cover…and The Shade was born!

Future Plans:  

The future of the company is bright! Lauran plans on bringing out new colors of The Shade along with new products to make “being on the go” with baby easy for parents.

Life Impact from Being a Mom-Inventor:

Building her company has not only tested her professionally and personally, but has also taught her boys the importance of hard work. They understand that their mommy has an invention and are constantly constructing inventions with their own materials to be “just like mommy.”    

Mom-Inventor: Annette Atterage

Company: Nikiani – Buggygear

Product: Buggyguard - Stroller Lock

Inspiration:

As a new mom in 2007, Annette spent countless hours researching the perfect stroller. After investing a small fortune on a stroller, it was soon stolen from her back porch. To no avail, Annette searched the market for a product that could lock up her stroller safely, but still look great.  From necessity came invention, and the Buggyguard was born!

Now as a mother of three, Annette keeps creating stylish, kid-friendly products for the on-the-go mom! Today, Nikiani consists of multiple lines of products: Buggygear – premium stroller accessories; Drinkadeux – top of the line glass bottles; Nikiani’s My First Buddies – designer wet/backpacks and snack bags; and Palm Beach Crew – brilliant waterproof beach blankets.  

Life Impact from being a Mom-Inventor:

These inventions have proven to Annette that she can fulfill two of her lifelong dreams simultaneously – being a loving mother and a successful entrepreneur. Annette now realizes she doesn’t have to rely on someone else to create the products that she ideally wants for herself and her children. With a little thought and hard work, she can turn an idea into a reality that is beneficial to other mothers and children as well.

Mom-Inventor: Nina Farzin

Company: oogiebear

Product: oogiebear – Mucus Removal Tool

Inspiration:

With three children of her own, Nina had parented through her fair share of cold and flu seasons.  Yearning for sleep, she knew there had to be a better way. So the oogiebear was born. All infant/baby nasal-cleaning devices currently on the market worked via suction.  Wet mucus could easily be suctioned out, but what happens when you need to get the dry, crusty boogies and can’t safely reach inside tiny nostrils?  With nothing available, Nina saw the need to come up with a gentler, safer, cleaner and more effective way to get the boogies out – designed with the health & safety of her own children in mind.  

Future Plans:

Nina's long-term goal is to make oogiebear a household name - an essential, must-have tool for all new moms!

Life Impact from being a Mom-Inventor:

Nina is continually motivated by the knowledge that her product will make a meaningful difference to the comfort of little ones, and parents alike. The entire experience, from concept to creation, has been beyond rewarding and motivates her to continue working towards growing the brand and finding ways to make the product available to parents worldwide.

Mom-Inventor: Erica Turzak

Company: Little Bean Creations

Products: Car Seat Footrest, Canopy & Nursing Cover

Inspiration:

The inspiration for the car seat footrest came during a long car ride when Erica’s daughter began kicking the back of her seat because her little legs were in pain.  Erica searched for a car seat footrest and was surprised to find none! The very next day, she created the first prototype, with materials from a local craft store, and the Little Bean footrest was born.

Future Plans:

Since launching the footrest, Erica has begun development on several new concepts - all with the mission of bringing products to the market that solve a need for both parents and children alike.

She just released two new products: a nursing cover and a car seat canopy. These are Cloud Cover products – made with a lightweight and organic breathable cotton. In the next few months Erica hopes to share news on several new products that are currently in development!

Life Impact from being a Mom-Inventor:

The car seat footrest has impacted Erica’s life tremendously. It solved an immediate need for her daughter - which was always the original goal. Erica was able to connect with other families and hear all about how their children were more comfortable in the car.  It has even helped some families with children suffering from neurological impairments, bringing needed relief from their car discomfort. Beyond all that, this project was the catalyst behind the development and launch of a company and lots of new and exciting future products!

Mom-Inventor & Author: Dr. Tamara Monosoff

Product: Do You Have a Product Idea? - Two book, three workbook set and on-demand videos

Inspiration:

As a new Mom, Tamara was overwhelmed with the array of challenges she faced every day. One of these challenges arose from her daughter having fun unraveling the family toilet paper – not so cute after the toilet was clogged!  From this incident, Tamara’s first product idea was born: the TP Saver (a simple gadget that prevents children and pets from unraveling the toilet paper).

When it was launched in 2004, on national media, she experienced a flood of inquiries from other moms asking for a roadmap to bring their own product ideas to market. This inspired Tamara to write the first edition of the Mom Inventors Handbook: How to Turn Your Great Idea into the Next Big Thing – it became a national top seller! She has since written four more business books for entrepreneurs and most recently, “The Ultimate Product Launch Course”. 

Future:

Tamara believes that moms might be the best product developers out there. For the past ten years, Tamara has seen thousands of people transform an initial idea into creative, money-generating new products.  She believes, with the resurgent economy and awesome new resources available for developing, manufacturing, funding, video marketing, selling and distributing products, the opportunity for inventive product entrepreneurs has never been better.

Life Impact from being a Mom-Inventor & Author:

Nothing thrills Tamara more than hearing from women (and men) about how her book and online self-paced video programs are helping them realize their dreams.  As a result of her books, she has had the opportunity to help thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs. It has been an honor for her to hear that the information she shares has had an impact on parents’ lives and the lives of their families.

It has also had an influence on her own daughters’ lives (now ages 13 & 11), who have worked together to write and illustrate their own book, Isabella Makes a Difference: How Kids Can Help the World, where they share how young elementary age children can help the world too! 

Mom-Inventor: Ally Arnold

Company: Kiddie Catch All

Product: Kiddie Catch All – Car Seat Organizer

Inspiration:

A necessity for safer driving and Ally’s 18-month-old daughter inspired her invention.  While trying to drive, she found herself constantly reaching onto the back floorboard for her daughter’s dropped toys.  Ally thought a simple basket attached to her seat would not only offer her daughter additional toys to choose from, but would also give her the independence to manage her own entertainment while in the car.  

Future:

Ally sees Kiddie Catch All becoming as common a travel accessory for families as a cup holder!

Life Impact from being a Mom-Inventor:

Ally’s invention became an amazing problem-solver and handy tool for her daughter, as well as an exciting business venture.  She has also found joy in hearing back from her many customers across the country, who not only use Kiddie Catch All for their young ones, but also for themselves and their older children to keep their favorite items right on their armrests!

Mom-Inventor: Meghan Khaitan

Company: MyBuckleMate

Product: MyBuckleMate - Seat Belt Buckle Holder

Inspiration:

Meghan’s three children were the inspiration behind MyBuckleMate.  She often felt like a contortionist climbing into the car and over her children, just to get them safely buckled-up and on the road. Meghan decided to enlist a product design company, with the help of her husband & children, to design MyBuckleMate. After installing the product in her own car, her family was getting on the road happily, quickly and without having to think about buckling up. That’s when Meghan knew everyone had to have MyBuckleMate.  In the following months, she worked with her team to refine the invention, file a patent and start the business.  

Future:

MyBuckleMate is still in its infancy and Meghan’s immediate focus is building national awareness for the brand and the product itself. They now have customers as far north as the North Pole & Alaska and as far south as Melbourne, Australia.  In the near future, they plan to introduce different colors and patterns to make it interesting and fun for kids, and get it into the hands of as many people as possible!

Down the road, Megan would like to expand the brand to include complementary products that make family travel easier and more enjoyable.

Life Impact from Being a Mom-Inventor:

Before founding MyBuckleMate, Meghan had left her career to raise 3 children for 8 years.  After starting the business, she realized how important having something to pursue for herself was, along with the newfound confidence & wider worldview it provided.  More importantly, her two oldest daughters now know their opportunities are only limited by their imagination and willingness to take calculated risks.