WoW Woman in FemTech I Kelly Cox, co-founder of Share the Drop
Kelly Cox is the Co-Founder of Share the Drop. As a registered prenatal yoga teacher and birth doula, Kelly supported thousands of families through pregnancy, birth and parenthood. In her yoga studio, families connected over the trials and tribulations of pre/postpartum bodies, sleep training, partner relationships and of course, infant feeding. Taking note of her clients’ emotional wellbeing, Kelly realized that feeding newborns created a wave of stress, pressure and often led to postpartum depression. She held weekly free lactation support groups and regularly helped match local families with an excess supply of milk to families in need. And as a breast cancer survivor, she gave particular attention to fellow survivors sourcing milk for their infants.
One particular evening, Kelly was on her phone, scrolling through her contacts to source extra milk for a doula client when she received a text notification that she had “matched” with a prospective date. The idea for a mobile app to match human milk donors and recipients was born. Based on the same functionality of popular dating apps, Share The Drop uses geolocation technology to help match families find others in their communities to donate and receive breast milk. Cox believes all families should have the agency to make their own decisions regarding how they feed their infants. The Drop serves as a platform to connect; never storing or shipping milk, but rather wanting families to find each other on the app, and then make informed decisions once they are matched.
Share the Drop, the first-ever platform connecting breast milk donors to recipients in real time. Human milk is the gold standard for infant health and nutrition, and some lactating mothers produce more supply than just their own infant can consume. In the wake of the pandemic and recent formula shortage, moms around the country are looking to both donate and receive milk in a safe, convenient way. After being launched on Google Play Story for a few months, now families can create an account at sharethedrop.com and enter their information as to whether they are a donator or receiver and be connected to other local families around them.
Tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.
I am a birth doula and prenatal yoga instructor who has spent the last 15 years supporting women through pregnancy and delivery. I owned and operated a yoga studio that specialized in pre and postnatal yoga and through that work I realized the stress and anxiety families struggle with surrounding breastfeeding. I created Share The Drop, the first commerce-free app connecting milk donors and receivers in real-time, using geolocation technology.
How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
Breaking into the tech world was a huge leap for me, having literally zero tech experience. Finding the right agency to build the app was crucial, and much harder than expected, especially during the pandemic. I faced many challenges working with app developers and now that the app is live, dealing with Apple to get it onto their store continues to be difficult. Despite having similar apps on the store, they continue to reject our submissions.
How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle? What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in?
I started actively working on Share The Drop in March 2020. It took over a year to find the developer, and another 9 months for the creation of the app before we could start beta testing. The biggest obstacle has been marketing and getting the word out to families.
What are your biggest achievements to date?
Getting the app live and seeing that matches are being made has been incredible; even if just a few families were able to get milk for their babes I would have been happy. I am committed to offering this as a free option for families, with zero download fee and it is completely free to use. We do not compensate donors for their milk, as other apps do. I think this adds another layer of security for families and takes away fraudulent use.
What are the projects you are currently working on?
I am fully invested in Share the Drop being my sole priority.
Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
It is; I think getting more women interested in this type of work is crucial. Our world continues to be highly reliant on tech, and I do not see that changing, having women at the table is huge.
What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?
I ideally see normalizing options for how we feed infants, and destigmatize informal milk sharing.
What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?
Don't let lack of experience scare you; align yourself with people who have skills you do not. Lean in, and soak up as much as you can.
Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?
Every woman I support throughout pregnancy and early parenthood are inspirational to me; they are the sole reason I started this company.
I also greatly admire Trillitye Paullin, Ph.D., and the work she does at Free to Feed, and Meg Pryde of Brandefy.
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This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder, and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic and read her stories for Forbes here.