Amberlee Venti Of Pippy Sips: Why We Need More Women Founders & Here Is What We Are Doing To Make That Happen
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
I believe it is reflective of the broad challenges women face in the startup and business world. In the hardware products space, I am often the only woman in the room. Same with pitch competitions and investor rooms.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amberlee Venti.
Amberlee Venti is the CEO and Co-Founder of Pippy Sips, creator of the patented and award-winning storing, cooling and monitoring system for breastmilk (“Maia”). Amberlee has always been a problem-solver and an advocate for others. Pippy Sips is a continuation of this spirit and it is Amberlee’s hope that she can help women solve problems associated with breastfeeding and pumping through creating innovative products and services.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I’ve always been passionate about helping others. And that passion has guided me to so many rewarding opportunities, whether it was volunteering at a home for the elderly when I was growing up in California, or working with young kids in the Head Start program when I was attending The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., or assisting families as a social worker in Philadelphia when I was fresh out of college. A couple years after college, I went to graduate school at Drexel in order to become a mental health professional, and I have been working in that field in various capacities for fifteen years.
It was when I was running a walk-in mental health clinic that I got the idea that would lead me to today’s conversation. It was 2016; I’d just had my second baby; and I’d exhausted my maternity leave. Back at work fulltime, managing patients in crises and a large staff, and trying to pump enough breastmilk for my baby’s next day at daycare was exasperating. It felt like pumping and all the associated tasks (e.g., cleaning the pump parts) was an extra job. Keeping my milk at a safe temperature was its own source of stress: The work fridge was too frequently inaccessible (it was a room where group therapy sessions took place), and my black fabric bag with ice packs did not instill a ton of confidence. Also, I often wished there were a way to more discreetly pump and store milk so that I didn’t have to withstand the awkward stares and silence every time I spoke with a male coworker with breastmilk bottles in my hands (thankfully, the 41-year-old me is more self-assured). Additionally, I wondered why nursing products all seemed to be designed using a hospital or medical aesthetic. As a lifelong problem-solver and advocate for others, I knew I could come up with an idea that would address the problems I saw in the status quo and improve the pumping experience for so many moms out there. Founding Pippy Sips, and developing our flagship product Maia, are the latest rewards from pursuing my passion(s).
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Sometimes a little chaos brings out the best in me. That realization hit me hard when I was running the walk-in mental health clinic, in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, which has been hit so hard by the opiate crisis. It was one of the toughest but most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. One day, someone decided to set off a pepper bomb in the elevator and hit all of the buttons, so that the chemical mist would reach every floor. Several people, including our security guard, had serious reactions to the mist. People were panicking. I didn’t have time to stop and think, I just jumped into action and effected our emergency plan, evacuating everyone from the building and herding them across the street. Once the situation was resolved, staff gave me a round of applause and praised my composure under pressure.
Crisis management is a skill that translates well into running a startup. The journey often demands agility, creativity, and concentration under duress. My personal and professional experiences have allowed me to excel in those moments.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Many startup experiences aren’t so funny in the moment, but looking back, you just have to smile. One time there was a miscommunication with a vendor about the size of a shipment of packaging boxes, and when that shipment arrived on a large pallet we were pretty convinced our Ford Escape was not big enough for the transportation job. We had to come up with a plan, though — orders needed to be shipped! We asked a guy in the office park for help. He used a forklift to raise the pallet up to the trunk of our car and we muscled it forward as much as possible (“I think I can!”). But the pallet only went in, like, 60% of the way, so we used some rope around the exposed end to keep everything from spilling out during the drive.
I captured the whole ordeal for social media, thinking it would at least make for mildly entertaining content. Our following is about 95% women, but a surprising number of male followers chimed in for the first time to critique our packing style and forklift use. I had to turn the comments off at some point because the back and forth between followers about how to properly tie rope was becoming, um . . . escalated in tone.
What did I learn from that episode? That even a small company like Pippy Sips, posting a pretty mundane video, can inadvertently set off an online firestorm. Social media never ceases to amaze me.
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?
When I first had the idea for our flagship product, Maia, I was emotionally fulfilled by my job but it required an incredible amount of time and energy and I was physically spent. Twice in six months I was seen at the hospital because parts of my body were capitulating to the daily grind. I suppose I was in the right state of mind, then, to take a leap into something new. I mentioned the idea for Maia to my brother-in-law, Peter Venti, who’d recently gotten his MBA, and he said something like: “ideas you may think are crazy turn into successful businesses all the time — go for it.” And that was the genesis of Pippy Sips.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
It might sound silly but the children’s book, The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, has remained significant in my life. I used to request this book most nights as a child and it had a profound impact on how I approach obstacles. The mantra, “I think I can, I think I can,” is often running through my brain. And I was pleasantly surprised, when I grew up, to learn about the book’s underlying feminist theme.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
I use the mantra “I think I can” as a motivator, but sometimes that motivation collides with my stubbornness in unhelpful ways. Not every challenge is overcome by pushing forward as hard and fast as you can. One of my favorite authors is Joan Didion; and her book Play It As It Lays remains my top pick. The phrase used for the title is borrowed from card games and means, basically, you’ve got to deal with the cards you’re given, and sometimes that means passing on the hand. Didion uses this concept to explore how we navigate life, emphasizing that it can be necessary to just let go and allow situations to unfold rather than trying to control the outcome. This idea has been especially valuable to me when I’ve exhausted every option in solving a problem or tackling a task and need to step back.
I had to embrace this mindset with Pippy Sips when we were creating Maia. After more than five years of research and development, we faced numerous setbacks, including running low on funds and encountering one manufacturing or supply-chain issue after another. There were many moments when I had to remind myself to patiently persevere, to “play it as it lays” and accept that I had limited control over many of the obstacles in the way of getting our product made.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
My hope is that I can continue to use Pippy Sips as a vehicle for improving the lives of pumping moms. One of my favorite parts of selling our product is reading all of the reviews and messages from our appreciative customers. I love hearing about our customers going to the beach or a concert, or traveling for work or pleasure, and being able to store their milk without worry. Equally satisfying are Pippy Sips’s philanthropic efforts, like our ‘buy-one, give-one’ campaigns every winter.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
When it comes to funding and gender, the disparity is real, it is rooted in views that need to change, and it is something that inhibits women from starting companies and accelerating their growth. Let me tell you a story: I recently pitched to a predominantly male (25:3) group of investors who chose for the meeting place a private club that did not accept African Americans as members until 1972, and which used to have separate entrances for men and women. I accepted the invite because the investment group itself did not have a bad reputation and, honestly, my company needed funds so I wasn’t in the habit of turning down potential deals. Anyway, there were three of us slated to pitch that night, me and two men, both of whom were running quite late. So I was asked to pitch 30 minutes earlier than planned, which I was able to do because I’d showed up about an hour early. A few minutes before I went in, one of the other founders finally showed up and quickly woo-hoo-ed aloud, looking at his phone then me — a complete stranger — to announce he’d just gotten $150K in investment for the $2.5M he was raising. I gave no reaction, then entered the room of investors, where I immediately heard many of the men making jokes and giggling about breastmilk (my first deck slide is titled “Let’s talk about breastmilk,” which doesn’t usually send people into a state of delirium but I sensed there’d been some drinking). I proceeded to perform one of my best pitches ever (repeating “I think I can” in my head) and answered all questions with confidence and authority.
I didn’t get an offer of investment. Maybe my company valuation didn’t sit well. Maybe the investors weren’t persuaded of the ROI opportunity. Maybe it was something else. I don’t know, because the group refused to provide any feedback (constructive or otherwise) after I was informed of the outcome.
I’ve thought about whether either of the guys who also pitched that night got an investment. About how I’ve never seen female founders show up late to a pitch, or female investors treat a brand like a comedy act.
My experience isn’t unique; I believe it is reflective of the broad challenges women face in the startup and business world. In the hardware products space, I am often the only woman in the room. Same with pitch competitions and investor rooms. It’s difficult not to feel at a disadvantage, especially when you reflect on the numbers: “Only 1.9% of venture capital funding goes to women-founded startups, despite women-owned startups generating higher returns on the VC they do receive compared to their male counterparts,” according to Forbes; and there’s a roughly $1.7 trillion global financing gap for women-owned small- and medium-sized businesses, per the Harvard Business Review.
Many women founders are building companies based on very real, personal experiences related to their gender — experiences that are frequently stigmatized or considered taboo. Explaining the value of these businesses to predominantly male audiences can be incredibly challenging. I’m currently part of the IFundWomen + Botox Grant cohort, which focuses on bridging the confidence gap for women. This group includes remarkable founders forcing society to reckon with questions like, ‘Have you considered how much women lose annually to overpriced car repairs due to gender bias?’ Or ‘Have you thought about the lack of combat boots designed specifically for women?’ The problems female founders are solving through their companies are not often recognized or supported in the business world.
Can you share with our readers what you are doing to help empower women to become founders?
I try to make an effort to support female founders who reach out to me for advice. I remember what it’s like to start a business and to know so little about the path forward. I also believe that many barriers faced by female founders start with how children are raised, and the images they see of what people look like in certain jobs. As the mom of two girls, I make sure they see me actively running my business. Whether they’re listening to me practice my pitch, helping with social media content (a great way to involve my tween), or hearing about the gender-based challenges I’ve faced in the business world, I want them to understand that pursuing their passions is possible and that their gender can be a source of strength.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
I think we should be asking a different question: Why shouldn’t women become founders? If only half the population was starting businesses, we would be living in a one-dimensional world without many necessary products and services.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Can you please share 5 things that can be done or should be done to help empower more women to become founders? If you can, please share an example or story for each.
Capital Dedicated to Women-Led Businesses — We have secured most of our funding from accelerators and grants focused on supporting women and minorities. Honestly, I can’t imagine where we’d be without this crucial support, but, in line with some of the things I’ve mentioned above, we need more women-led investment groups if we want to see more women-led businesses being funded.
Legislation Protecting Funds for Women and Minorities — While I don’t have a personal story on this, the situation with The Fearless Fund is concerning. As a brand that has benefited from similar grants and funds, it’s alarming to see lawsuits targeting institutions that support women and minorities. Without such funding, Pippy Sips’ progress would be significantly hindered. The funders of the grants recognize and try to actually do something about women-led brands’ disproportionately limited access to outside capital. These funds need to be protected, legislatively if necessary, so they are not so easily disrupted by activist groups.
Communities for Female Founders — We’re engaged with several communities for female founders, including IFundWomen and Female Founder World. These networks have been instrumental in our success, providing valuable connections and resources. I encourage female founders, regardless of what stage they are at in the journey, to find a community. We need to look out for each other.
Allyship — To those who understand the importance of supporting women-owned businesses: your help is invaluable. If you can support a female-led venture, please do! Speak up against sexism when you see it and strive to create a more inclusive environment for all founders. I’m grateful for those who have stood up against bias and fostered a supportive business environment.
Women-Owned Capital — Again: We need to encourage more successful female founders to become investors and change the funding landscape; it will make a huge difference to new female-led startups.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I wouldn’t say “great” influence but, hey, thank you! Anyway, let’s talk more about breastfeeding and pumping!!! Why is it that I knew almost nothing about either until I was actually experiencing them?!?!? I grew up in the Bay Area of California for gosh sakes, where sex education was relatively progressive. My young hip teacher with her long wavy hair talked openly about sex, rolling a condom onto a banana and showing us a childbirth video (never forgot those images!). But no information about what may come next — for example, information about breastfeeding and pumping. Knowledge and awareness could help to redesign our cultural environment to not feel like it works against breastfeeding and pumping. I’m tired of hearing stories about women pumping on bathroom floors, tossing out milk because a mom decided to leave her home, being told to “cover up,” etc. Something’s gotta give, and with greater educational efforts early on, stigmas could go away and we’d see the real change down the road.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I’m a huge fan of Tig Notaro, not just for her comedy but also for who she is as a person and a business professional. She’s incredibly versatile, taking risks in her career with projects like an animated stand-up special, multiple podcasts, writing, directing, and producing. I also admire her openness about her traumatic experiences and how they’ve shaped who she is today. I particularly appreciate how she channels her mother’s “go to hell” attitude in her everyday life, offering practical examples like handling road rage. As someone who sometimes struggles with setting boundaries, I’ve adopted this attitude when dealing with boundary-pushing situations — and it’s been surprisingly effective!
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Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Amberlee Venti Of Pippy Sips: Why We Need More Women Founders & Here Is What We Are Doing To Make… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.