Where there is a woman, there is magic✨ ~Ntozake Shange

As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, we would like to introduce you to the strong women behind some of our favourite mommy brands. These mumpreneurs juggle babies & businesses so they can help other moms through their innovative ideas.

Sara Chemmaa
Founder, Citron

Sara Chemmaa is the CEO and Founder of Citron, a Dubai-based brand that creates and supplies innovative mealtime products to families. Inspired by her own children’s needs, Sara founded Citron in 2017 after she identified a clear need in the market for stylish and leakproof lunchboxes. Citron products are designed by mums for mums.

As Sara herself says, “Building a brand with passion is the key to success. By integrating my passions in a story I am able to relate to different audiences. To mums, who go through some of the same challenges I experienced when my son wouldn’t eat the food I’d send with him to school. To entrepreneurs, because we all go through the journey of taking an idea to a business that helps others. And to other business owners, especially women-led, because we struggle to be seen as a serious player within the market.”

On tips for other mommy entrepreneurs starting out she advises, “Understand your own, personal monthly needs, do a small market study, don’t go for niche products, try it out and then see how it goes – be brave!

Explore Citron here...

Elli Kasbi
Founder, Elii Junior

Elli Kasbi wanted to bring the exclusivity of the Swedish label Elodie Details into the GCC region. She imagined high-quality clothing with a Scandinavian aesthetic and a focus on sustainability. Thus, she founded Elli Junior. “I had no experience in retail, e-commerce, or import & export; all I knew was that I wanted to change the deficit in the UAE market.” she says. In Jan 2020, Elli Junior launched its own collection of high-quality organic baby towels, playmats, bamboo blankets and more. 

Her advice for other mompreneurs, “Most importantly, take the risks if you really believe in your idea and in yourself. Don’t give up, hard work pays off but work smart, ask for help, find a mentor in your field that can guide you and support you. Its important to find the balance between work and personal life, so I recommend a book by Matthew Kelly called, Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction.”

Explore Elli Junior here...

Brenda Buell
Founder, Jack & Lily

In 2004, Brenda Buell was in her early thirties and pregnant with her second child in Vancouver, Canada. “Wherever I went, whatever I saw, the quality and style of baby footwear was simply lacking – and certainly not worth the prices.” Frustrated, Brenda became certain she could do better. Over a period of several months Brenda found a leather manufacturer, got hold of some “short ends” (leftover leather from the making of coats or belts) and went to work hand-stitching the very first Jack & Lily shoes.

Determined to succeed, and willing to do whatever it takes, Brenda went door-to-door, pitching her infant, baby and toddler shoes to whatever small, local business would listen. Their response shocked her. “These were mom & pop stores. They rarely took chances on new products but I sold out everything! I couldn’t believe it!.”

Brenda’s hand-sewn beginnings have now grown into an award-winning global brand known for its stylish and fun exclusive footwear for babies and toddlers. 

Explore Jack & Lily here...

Hannah Curran
Founder, PureBorn

Hannah Curran is the founder and CEO of Pure Born, a homegrown eco-friendly brand that has taken the region by storm. Now a market leader in the organic nappy category, with a legion of fans in the shape of mums and kids, Hannah has created one of the most coveted and innovate eco and ethical brands in the world, dedicated to providing eco-friendly formulas, at affordable prices. 

Hannah is the true embodiment of an entrepreneur, having built Pure Born into a market leader within only two years and with aggressive growth and expansion plans over the next twelve months and beyond. Hannah started with a simple ethos of wanting to provide clean, eco-friendly solutions to mums and kids. She is now challenging the biggest nappy brands in the world with her eco-friendly nappies and stylish nappy prints, not to mention her extremely loyal and always growing fan base. At only 27 and a mum, working in a male dominated industry, Hannah is changing the narrative and proving that the glass ceiling can be well and truly smashed! 

Explore PureBorn here...

Sources: thegaggler.com, arabianbusiness.com, timeoutabudhabi.com, mompreneursww.com , themompreneuracademy.com, ottawafamilyliving.com, dubaiprnetwork.com