Social Impact Tech: Monica Plath of Littlebird On How Their Technology Will Make An Important Positive Impact
We live in a world where everything that can be connected, will be connected. But there is a lapse in the care industry connecting our children to their caregivers. The questions are endless: Who are they with? How is my child feeling? What is my child doing? And so, Littlebird’s pioneering technology helps answers those questions by validating both parents and caregivers as well as gives a voice to the little ones who wear the device. I truly feel that Littlebird and our Connected Care platform is set to revolutionize the care industry in a big way.
In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Monica Plath.
Monica Plath is the CEO and Founder of Littlebird. A single working mom of two active toddlers, Monica intimately knows the anxieties parents and caregivers face when they are apart from their children. After being plagued with mom guilt and and parent anxiety, Monica leveraged her education from the University of Washington, and executive programs at Stanford and MIT, to found Littlebird and create a true connected-care, eco-system that would enhance parent, child, and caregiver relationships. As CEO, she is building a world-class team to bring Littlebird to families globally, and bring peace of mind to working parents.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?
I grew up in a pretty rural area of Washington and nature played a huge part in my life. I was involved in 4-H and even won a few ribbons showing cows…the whole nine yards! It was your classic upbringing where if you were bored, you just went outside and found something to do. My younger brother and I were often left to our own devices and inventions to occupy ourselves outdoors, and if we were not involved in an extracurricular activity, we were expected to work. That meant either doing manual chores around the house or finding a real job once we could drive ourselves. We learned early on the value of hard work and the importance of showing up.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The most interesting and exciting time of my life so far would have to be launching my company, Littlebird. I managed to successfully do so not only during a global pandemic, but while moving homes with a toddler on my lap and nine months pregnant. Yes, it was chaotic, but it was pretty exhilarating because I was committed to making Littlebird a reality. I also made a conscious decision to invest my personal savings with a design and engineering team that I could not meet in person given the travel restrictions at the time. Some might say that I was perhaps reckless, but I call it blind faith and a testament to how badly I wanted Littlebird to take flight. As luck would have it, it turns out the teams are just as awesome in person as they are on Zoom!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have tremendous gratitude for Gadi Amit, our Chief Technology Officer. He is a wearable veteran and technology visionary, but he will humbly call himself a designer. Luckily for me, when we were introduced he immediately understood the mission and concept behind Littlebird. In our initial meetings, he recounted countless stories about situations where Littlebird would have helped his own family. For the 50 or so people I spoke to before him that said no, he said “anything is possible.” He saw the monumental challenge ahead and literally said, “let’s do this!” Meeting Gadi was the tipping point for me because he not only believed in Littlebird, but he believed in me as well.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
This is going to sound corny, but my favorite quote is “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” In start-up land, you literally get put through the ringer every single day. As in life, you hold on to those wins in order to ride out the lows. What would have humiliated, hurt, or outraged me in the past is now water off a duck’s back. You can be going through the worst time of your life both personally and professionally and it will not matter to anyone else and so you have to wake up and believe in yourself and rock on.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Drive — Harkening back to 2020 when I decided to take my interest and passion to the next level by founding Littlebird and did so while raising a toddler and pregnant with my second child. I firmly believe that there is no time like the present and the extreme chaos of moving during the pandemic and launching Littlebird into stealth and fundraising was wild, but somehow it set the pace for my development and resilience.
Resilience — Parenthood and Founderhood (is that a word?) are two peas in a pod. When you launch a company, you have to let it crawl, walk, all before it can run. Yes, there are struggles, heartbreaks, sleepless nights, and lots of tears along the way, but it’s worth it. “Experts” will give you unsolicited advice, and cliques will form, but you know your child and company best, and what is best for your personal journey.
Leading with optimism and empathy — I love Littlebird’s mission and I am optimistic that we will help countless parents worry less. Knowing your child is safe is a human right, and one that I want to make more accessible to parents and caregivers everywhere. I get DM’s and emails from moms all over the country that have found us organically and thank us for developing a product that they can’t find anywhere else. I know exactly what they are feeling as a parent because I too have experienced the same thing. And so, I am beyond excited to share that peace of mind with other parents.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the tech tools that you are helping to create that can make a positive social impact on our society. To begin, what problems are you aiming to solve?
It’s simple: parents are stressed, burnt out, and filled with anxiety more than ever. Research shows that working parents of young children spend 37 hours per week worrying about their kids, and get to spend as little as 55–120 minutes a day with them, or five hours face to face per week. This means parents spend more time worrying about their kids than they actually get to spend with them. That’s a tough statistic to swallow.
Parental guilt is at an all-time high, and it’s being driven by the childcare crisis. Both moms and dads report severe guilt from missing out on milestones when away from their kids. 77% of employed mothers with children under six work full time, and more than half of them are burned out due to the mental and emotional load they carry.
Of the 23 million kids under five in the US, 62% are cared for by nannies, daycare centers, or caregivers other than parents. But with the childcare industry in crisis, 16% of US parents say that their child care arrangement has had a negative impact on their quality of work, contributing to burnout and limiting their ability to be present. We want to help these parents find more peace of mind.
How do you think your technology can address this?
We live in a world where everything that can be connected, will be connected. But there is a lapse in the care industry connecting our children to their caregivers. The questions are endless: Who are they with? How is my child feeling? What is my child doing? And so, Littlebird’s pioneering technology helps answers those questions by validating both parents and caregivers as well as gives a voice to the little ones who wear the device. I truly feel that Littlebird and our Connected Care platform is set to revolutionize the care industry in a big way.
The crisis facing parents, which is incredibly complex. We need vast change, from upending societal expectations for working parents, to policy changes to support paid family leave, and more flexible working conditions. But these changes will take time. With Littlebird, we are creating a connected care ecosystem now that is not yet available in the $335 billion caregivers market. We are making it easier for parents to find and connect with caregivers, and empowering both parents and caregivers with the tools they need to navigate modern family life.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
I started Littlebird out of necessity. I was returning to work when my son was almost 6 months old and the daycare shortage had left us on waitlists. So like most people, I hired a babysitter from a trusted caregiving site. The sitter arrived, I left and then the unimaginable happened. On my Ring camera I noticed she was leaving my house in her car and on my Nest camera I saw that my child was not in his crib, panic ensued and she was obviously let go as soon as I could get home and found my child alone but ok. After that instance I went online to try and find a product that could tell me that my child was safe and with their caregiver. There had to be something that showed who they were with, bluetooth technology is everywhere right? Nothing existed, and I instantly knew that I had to create it. Hence, Littlebird was born!
I have long been a part of disadvantaged youth causes as well, the idea of helping track and keeping little ones safe and caregivers accountable is close to my heart. We look forward to partnering with organizations to help validate quality care and keep families together.
How do you think this might change the world?
The care industry is archaic and ripe for something obvious, yet revolutionary, like Connected CareTracking. We should all be able to know who is with our child and where they are — on demand. We all want to worry a little less, feel validated about our care choices, and the idea of quantifying quality of care in a connected world is the next step in closing this green space.
In an industry that is mostly done behind closed doors, Littlebird is here to be a voice for those in need. I want to validate the care choices that I make for my child, and help others in the process. This is an obvious flaw in the system, and we are here to fix it.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
With anything, there are the few that can misconstrue a positive purpose for the rest of us. This technology is a vehicle for transparency in an industry where reporting is often one sided, and the opponents may have something to hide, whereas we see early adopters eager to validate their role and authenticity. My mission for Littlebird and Connected Care Ecosystems is to provide more clarity on both sides of the care industry and offer peace of mind to parents and caregivers in the process.
Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five things you need to know to successfully create technology that can make a positive social impact”? (Please share a story or an example, for each.)
1. Have A Need — I tried to purchase a product and it didn’t exist. I could not let go of how much it would change my life to have this technology and access to it. After speaking with other friends and parents, it became apparent that this company and product(s) needed to exist.
2. Drive — There is nothing like the sense of urgency that wakes you up in the morning and keeps you up at night in order to solve a problem. Leaving Littlebird in the wind was never an option. if I didn’t do this, someone else would and it wouldn’t be done right. So my thought was simple: get on board or get out of our way. I was going to bring Littlebird’s vision to life one way or another.
3. Patience — Optimism and patience are key when solving problems. Whether you are finding the right team, figuring out timing, or simply seeing challenges as opportunities — not as roadblocks — be patient along the way.
4. Thick Skin — Ignore the naysayers, critics and follow your vision. Always respond to your users and believers because they are the ones who will help you succeed. I have had some pretty brutal brush offs from VCs and industry introductions, and you can’t take it personally. Everyone’s needs and values are different and when you find the users and people that your vision clicks with — it’s magical!
5. Believers — Hold on to the people who believe in you. I have a folder titled “kind words” for the rough days when it feels like nothing is falling into place. I read these and a light at the end of the tunnel opens up a bit more. There are other people feeling the same need and drive out there and thankful that you are taking the risk to help them and everyone else. That is pretty rewarding.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Follow your heart and trust your instincts. I spent years ignoring a career change because it wasn’t financially safe or the right time. It’s never going to be the perfect or right time so sometimes you just have to go for it. I’m glad I did because I have never been more in love with my job, and more fulfilled than I am today. If you don’t know what your impact should be, ask yourself “what makes me happy” and do more of that.
For me, I have always been a part of philanthropy that benefited children, and worked with government agencies that have touch points with children and families. Littlebird was a natural adjacency that benefited these underserved groups as well as the rest of the population — wanting to know our children are safe is primal.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
That would be an equal tie between Melinda Gates and Mackenzie Bezos. As a female founder and mother in the Seattle area, it has been inspiring watching both of them align with forces for positive impact and empower women, children, and the surrounding causes. It reinforces my drive to connect Littlebird to helping families and improving access to information in the formative years of early childhood development.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Littlebird’s Instagram @littlebirdcare
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.
About the Interviewer: Jilea Hemmings is a staunch believer in the power of entrepreneurship. A successful career revamping Fortune 500 companies was not enough for her entrepreneurial spirit, so Jilea began focusing her passion in startups. She has successfully built 6 startups to date. Her passion for entrepreneurship continues to flourish with the development of Stretchy Hair Care, focusing on relieving the pain associated with detangling and styling natural black hair. For far too long, people with tender heads have suffered in pain. Until now.
Social Impact Tech: Monica Plath of Littlebird On How Their Technology Will Make An Important… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.