We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenn Mariani a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jenn, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The idea for the Keke Bag was born out of a moment all too familiar to parents and caregivers. I was traveling and taking my girls to restaurants, armed with a bag full of broken crayons and half-eaten granola bars. My oldest daughter was trying to find a light blue crayon to color the sky—and in that chaotic mess, I couldn’t find it. That was the moment I thought, there has to be a better way. I knew I couldn’t be the only caregiver facing this challenge.

As a music therapist, I’d had the privilege of working alongside incredible teachers, speech-language pathologists, and occupational and physical therapists. I drew from all of that knowledge to create something I desperately wanted: an educational, screen-free, fun-on-the-go activity bag.

I envisioned a rotating set of activities that would nurture emerging skills and support important developmental milestones. I found that the ages 3 to 6 are filled with rapid growth—especially in communication, creativity, and problem-solving. I knew putting my daughter on a screen would be easier in many ways, but I wanted more for her: more connection, more imagination, more wonder.

I couldn’t find anything that truly checked all the boxes. So, piece by piece—literally with bits and glue—I created the first Keke Bag.

This bag was built to solve a very real, very modern parenting challenge: we’re busy, often overwhelmed, but deeply invested in how our children spend their time. That is what gets me the most excited. The chance to help parents feel less guilty and more empowered. It was about showing that a screen-free option doesn’t mean a next level crafting ability.

KEKE stands for Keep Every Kid Engaged—and that’s exactly what we plan to do.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! I’m Jenn the creator behind the Keke Bag, but more importantly, I’m a mom who, like so many others, found myself looking for an on the go activity bag that would keep my kids happy and occupied while we were out and about. The lightbulb moment happened when my daughter was looking for a specific crayon to color the sky, and I couldn’t find it in the chaos of my bag. That’s when I realized: there has got to be a better way. And I knew I wasn’t the only parent feeling that way.

My background is in music therapy, and I’ve had the honor of working with some incredible professionals—teachers, speech therapists, occupational and physical therapists—who all helped shape the way I think about child development. I pulled from those experiences to create something I wished existed: a thoughtfully curated, screen-free, on-the-go activity bag that helps kids build real skills while still having fun.

The Keke Bag is designed for kids ages 3–6, a time when they’re growing, learning, and developing so quickly. I wanted to create something that keeps up with that growth—a rotating set of hands-on activities that support milestones in communication, creativity, fine motor skills, and problem-solving. It had to be portable, it had to be engaging, and it had to feel like something special, not just a bag of random stuff.

What sets us apart? Every piece of the Keke Bag is intentional. From the embossed zipper pulls for a little added sensory input to what I like to call the “cargo short effect” pouches- you can really pack a lot in them. It’s not about just keeping kids “busy”—it’s about keeping them engaged. It’s about giving parents a break without defaulting to a screen. It’s about connection, creativity, and curiosity—all packed into one little bag.

What I’m most proud of is that this came from a real, honest parenting need. I didn’t set out to start a company. I set out to solve a problem for my own kids, and it turns out a lot of other parents were looking for the same thing.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

We don’t have a big budget for ads or paid partnerships, so we’ve reached out to influencers we genuinely admire as parents and offered to send them a bag — no strings attached. If they loved it, we simply asked if they’d share it. I think people can tell when something is truly useful versus just another sponsored post, and that authenticity has made a huge difference.

The people who’ve really moved the needle for us aren’t always the ones with a million followers. In fact, most of our growth has come from those quiet, organic shoutouts — the voices that truly resonate with parents who are in the thick of it.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

We try to keep things really personal. A lot of our customers are busy parents, so we show up in ways that feel warm and thoughtful, not salesy. We send an email from me (Jenn) as a thank for support of our small business. Instead of flooding their inboxes with countless emails we try very hard to be thoughtful. For example we add in tips that we had parents have used on a road trip etc

I respond to a lot of DMs and emails myself, and I think that makes a difference. People want to feel seen, and I genuinely love hearing how the bag is working for their family.

Our hope is that the Keke Bag becomes something they always throw in their tote or travel bag — not just a one-time purchase, but something that grows with their child. That’s the kind of relationship we’re trying to build.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Kekekid.com
• Instagram: @Kekekidco
• Facebook: Kekekidco
• Other: TikTok: kekekidco

Image Credits

Jennifer Silverberg