Winners of the Winter 2019 High Five Grant for Moms
We are pleased to announce Laura Borsky, a mother of two boys and owner of SaferSit, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the $5,000 grant winner for the Winter 2019 High Five Grant for Moms competition.
A Judging Panel of seasoned executives selected Laura as one of eight finalists out of 175 applicants. In the second phase of the competition, out of more than 4,600 total, her business received 1,503 votes.
Laura not only receives the $5,000 grant, she also will be sent to Mama Spring Break, a business and adventure retreat for mom business owners to learn in workshops, valuable business coaching, a $100 gift card from the grant sponsor, Belly Bandit, and a promotional interview on Talk Radio NYC.
More about SaferSit
SaferSit serves busy parents who need reliable childcare with just the push of a button. SaferSit is an on-demand service that connects highschool and college students with babysitting jobs in their area.
More than 1,500 families have used the service, and SaferSit has over 100 5-star reviews on Facebook from moms. The company has booked over 10,000 jobs since starting in 2016.
”We are the only child care service that background checks both the parent and the sitter making it safe for both parties,” Laura says. “We are also the only service that is started by a mom and a sitter so that our team understands both sides of our business.”
The future of SaferSit
"We are planning to expand to multiple cities in 2019,” says Laura. “We have hired "mom managers" in Louisville and Lexington and hope to add a note tracking system for parents to communicate needs and allergies with their sitter.”
In her application, Laura wrote that she plans to use the $5,000 grant to add the notes system to the SaferSit app so that the sitter can have more safety information and the parent would be able to trust the service even more. This note system will include emergency contact info, allergy info, and additional notes.
First Runner Up - Lion Latch
Lerin Jane Lockwood, mama of a two-year-old daughter who lives in Burnet, Texas, owns Lion Latch. Her invention, Lion Latch is a small container that does not come unscrewed, to store wedding rings on-the-go, earrings, necklaces, pills, and hearing aids.
After knocking out the diamond in her engagement ring while playing softball, she knew she needed a solution. “I want to help more people prevent losing the jewelry they love! Jewelry is so sentimental, and can be passed down generations. You don't realize how much you love it until it's missing/damaged.”
After creating her own solution, others wanted one too. She raised $14,000 on KickStarter to have her invention manufactured. She’s shipped over 10,000 Lion Latches and recently received a call from Good Morning America. See how to protect your jewelry on the go at www.lionlatch.com.
Second Runner Up - EATABLE Inc
Mother of one, Charlene Li, co-founded EATABLE with her husband in 2018. Based in Ontario, Canada, EATABLE creates luxurious, refined snacking experiences for millennials and the young professional demographic who values quality and unique experiences. Their 100% all-natural gourmet popcorn features alcohol-infused flavors inspired by classic cocktails, wine, and spirits.
“The mission behind EATABLE is to create products that are part of people’s everyday celebrations,” says Charlene. “Whether you’re celebrating everyday wins at the office, at a gathering with friends, or spending quality family time at home, we want our products to be a reminder to celebrate those everyday wins, big or small. We are looking to partner with local charitable organizations that promote self-love and personal achievement.”
Pop over to www.eatable.com to find creative new flavors for your #everydaywins.
High Five Grant at Mama Spring Break
The Mama Ladder, in partnership with sponsor Belly Bandit, will award a giant check to Laura at Mama Spring Break this March (and a bank-friendly-size too!) at a special awards luncheon. We welcome mom entrepreneurs to join us and climb to greater heights in your business.