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

Joan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

In every single industry, corporate America overlooks the importance of child care benefits. Companies fail to recognize that providing comprehensive child care support goes far beyond a “benefit” – It is a strategic investment in employee well-being and productivity.

By underestimating the impact of accessible and quality child care, businesses unintentionally hinder the work-life balance of their employees, leading to increased stress, decreased job satisfaction, and ultimately, lower productivity. Recognizing the importance of reliable child care benefits can contribute not only to employee happiness but also to building a more engaged and motivated workforce. 55% of parents say that they would take a pay cut for a job that offers child care.

Bumo comes to the rescue when regular child care arrangements fall through because school is closed or the nanny is sick, allowing your team to proceed with their workday, uninterrupted. It’s also great for your remote and hybrid employees who may need to book care for only a few days or partial days per week.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the co-founder and CEO of Bumo. Raised by refugee parents, I spend much of my childhood living in poverty. My father finished 7th grade and my mother, high school – as a result, I was raised with the understanding that education was not only important but also a privilege that I needed to pursue wholeheartedly. With a budding passion for education and learning, I started MeriEducation, an INC500 company, at 20 years old with $3,000 saved, giving educational services ranging from SAT preparation to academic tutoring.

As a mother of two, my co-founder, Chriselle Lim and I, founded Bumo with the mission to disrupt the childcare industry through a tech-based platform and provide affordable, accessible, on-demand child care to families. A “parent care” company – Bumo serves busy parents, designing every feature with the parent experience in mind.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Bumo did not turn out the way that we thought it would turn out. We were supposed to open a co-working space with on-site child care in 2020. And then you know what happened…

So, as a company, it was pivot or die. At the time, my Co-Founder and I were both moms of two preschoolers, so we decided to start an asynchronous program with daily learning materials and daily learning activities for kids under 6 years old.

In 11 days in April 2020, we launched a virtual preschool. And it took off. Forbes called us the Virtual Classroom of the Future. Entrepreneur Magazine put us on the cover alongside the CEOs of Zoom and Google as one of the 137 entrepreneurs that would change the world.

Throughout the pandemic, we had over 100,00 online classes booked from children in over 30 countries. And, we still launched Bumo as a co-working space with child care in 2021.

And then it was time to think bigger. We spend 2022 and into 2023 building, again. We wanted to build a generational company.

So, what is Bumo now?

Bumo is a marketplace for on-demand child care. We find the best daycares, preschools, and programs and make them bookable online. Bumo now has over 2,400 searchable daycares and programs with childcare starting at $14 per hour.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

My Co-Founder, Chriselle Lim, and I raised nearly $5 million in seed funding for Bumo from Offline Ventures, Emmeline Ventures and celebrity investors including Jessica Alba, the founder of Honest Company; supermodel Coco Rocha; Raissa Gerona, the Chief Brand Officer of Revolve; and many more.

We dedicated ourselves wholeheartedly to championing the vision of Bumo, tirelessly raising awareness about the lack of dependable backup child care alternatives. Our relentless efforts were fueled by a passion to address this pressing issue and illuminate the critical need for reliable solutions in the realm of child care.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bumo.com
• Instagram: @bumoparent
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bumoparent/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bumoparent/
• Twitter: bumoparent
• Youtube: @bumoparent
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bumowork-los-angeles-9