#7 Stephanie Conduff - Founder of Leche Lounge: Creating Safe Spaces for Working Moms

05/21/19 • 58 min

Managing the nuances of returning to work, while caring for an infant is a heroic endeavor. That’s why having the support of management and peers is not only encouraged but critical. Particularly for moms who choose to breastfeed. Nearly 4 million babies are born each year in America and according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 out of 10 moms choose to breastfeed. Many of these moms are going back to work quickly for economic reasons -- in fact, it’s not uncommon for women to cut their maternity leaves short.

Companies that commit to supporting working mothers during this time, experience higher retention rates and increased engagement. Yet to this day, most workplaces don’t have access to a private and clean place to pump milk. This despite legislation requiring employers with 50 employees or more to provide ample break time and a private space other than a bathroom -- for nursing moms.

Stephanie Conduff wants to change that. A lawyer by trade, Stephanie considered becoming America’s premiere lactation rights attorney. But, she quickly realized, she could get settlements for her clients but she wouldn’t achieve the social change she ultimately wanted. So she took an entrepreneurial approach instead and founded Leche Lounge, a company providing portable units for pumping and nursing mothers (and as she explains in the episode, dads too). Stephanie is defeating the odds on multiple levels. She has pitched on national competitions to prominent female investors and leaders like Ariana Huffington. As a bootstrapped founder, she has managed to place her product in multinational corporations, like Nike’s Headquarters in NY, airports, convention centers and she is even working with the Air Force to provide a solution for our servicewomen who are deployed while still breastfeeding. She’s also been featured on Good Morning America, Entrepreneur, and Forbes. Join us as we learn more about her journey of solving problems for working mothers while creating employment opportunities for the Cherokee Nation.

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#6 Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt - The MAPS to a Big League City

There have been three Presidents who’ve served as mayors prior to taking office. Grover Cleveland, served as the mayor of Buffalo, NY. Andrew Johnson, as mayor of Greeneville Tennessee and Calvin Coolidge as mayor of Northhampton, Massachusetts. Today, Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana is running for the 2020 presidential bid - and until recently, many speculated that Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti would also run though he’s publicly decided against the presidential bid.

Although, most people look at federal and state governments for solutions. When it comes to our most serious social, economic and environmental challenges, the roadmap to creating change often lies in the communities where people actually live and work. It all goes back to designing the city in which you’d like to live. That’s why we believe that Mayors can play a huge role in building sustainable economies and communities.

In today’s episode, we follow one of those Mayors with a strong influence in the community. Oklahoma City’s Mayor, David Holt, was elected to office in 2018 with 78% of the vote. He is the youngest and first Native American person to serve as Mayor of Oklahoma City. Mayor Holt has a long history in public service. Prior to serving as Mayor, he served as State Senator, Chief of Staff to former Mayor Mick Cornett, and in the White House during the George W. Bush’s Administration.

Mayor Holt believes that even though Oklahoma City has come far, as one of the fastest growing midsize cities in the country, the long-term sustainability of that growth, needs to ensure that every part of the city benefits from its momentum.

Join us as we learn more about Oklahoma City’s Mayor early start in politics, his vision for a unified city and his approach to managing the fast pacing growth of one of the most up and coming cities in America.

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#8 Lisa and Matt Pinnell - Founders of Binxy Baby: From Hijacking Shopping Carts to Building a Global Brand

Sylvan Goldman invented the shopping cart in the mid-1930s. Like a lot of entrepreneurs, Goldman was solving a problem for himself. He owned a supermarket in Ardmore, Oklahoma called Humpty Dumpy and although business was good, he knew he’d be able to sell more if he could figure out how customers could carry more products while shopping. Although Goldman continued to make modifications to his original design, it was another Oklahoma inventor who managed to make the shopping cart more functional for parents.

Imagine going grocery shopping with a toddler and a newborn. The toddler is in the cart seat, and the baby carrier is in the basket taking up all the room where your groceries are supposed to go. What do you do?

Lisa Pinnell, the Founder and Inventor of Binxy Baby found herself in this situation and felt very frustrated. At first, she tried using front and back carriers, then baby wraps, she even resorted to pushing two carts at the same time, and although that was a great workout, it didn’t really solve the problem. After sharing her frustration with her husband Matt, they decided to come up with a solution.

Using her experience as a purse maker in college, Lisa invented a shopping cart hammock that wraps around the cart and leaves room for groceries around and under the baby. Lisa and Matt worked on at least 50 prototypes before going to market. The product is now sold all over the world. Matt and Lisa are well on their way to expansion and introducing additional products to their line. Matt recently became Lt. Governor of the State of Oklahoma as well as Secretary of Tourism and Branding. A position he is using to bring awareness to the importance of investing in local entrepreneurs, creatives and inventors. Join us as we learn more about Lisa and Matt’s journey, the early days of Binxy Baby and how they are managing the nuances of entrepreneurship and serving in public office.