The entrepreneurial women behind the five crowdfunding campaigns featured in this edition of our ongoing column are working to simplify typically complicated or messy endeavors from changing diapers to growing gardens.

Check out these 5 women-led crowdfunding campaigns:

1. Making Moms’ Lives EZ-er (via Indiegogo)

The Business: Diaper changing is already a messy experience. It doesn’t have to be difficult as well, saysy Julieta Racometa, creator of the EZ-On BaBeez Onesie. Traditional onesies have a snap closure that many say is inconveniently placed, because parents often have to lift their baby mid-change in order to avoid getting the onesie dirty. Racometa’s onesie makes changing “EZ”-er and cleaner by moving the snap closure to the baby’s stomach. It also enables good deeds; Racometa says she will donate a portion of her profits to charities that benefit children around the world.
The Money: The campaign has raised $28,552, well beyond its $12,500 goal, with 16 days left before it ends. The money raised will be used to complete the spring/fall 2018 onesie collection, and to expand her company’s reach beyond the United States.

2. Frozen is the New Fresh (via Kickstarter)

The Business: As the daughter of a single mother who worked three jobs, Brandice Spencer saw firsthand that families don’t always have time to cook meals from scratch. This was the inspiration for her frozen-food delivery company, My Served Meals. In order to maintain the flavor and nutrients of a home-cooked meal, My Served Meals are designed to be cooked using the sous vide method — ingredients arrive pre-mixed and vacuum-sealed, and home chefs need only add them to boiling water. The result? A fresh-tasting meal, prepared in minutes.
The Money: Spencer’s Kickstarter campaign has raised $3,868 of its $10,000 goal with 6 days to go. The money will go towards expanding the reach of the company, as it currently only services the Texas area.

3. Fashion and Function (via Kickstarter)

The Business: Susan Petersen started Freshly Picked to turn moccasins that wouldn’t fall off of her baby’s feet into a business — an idea that was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank. Now, she is looking to revolutionize diaper bags by making them more beautiful, durable and extra functional for moms. Made of vegan leather, from the outside a Freshly Picked Diaper Bag looks like a chic backpack. But on the inside, it is filled with pockets for electronics, baby clothes, wipes, diapers, makeup and everything else a modern mom needs to have with her.
The Money: The campaign has surpassed its goal and raised $340,912, with 22 days still to go. Peterson will use the money raised to manufacture bags. The extra funding will allow her to offer them in more colors and to include matching changing mats.

4. Smart Gardening (via Indiegogo)

The Business: Growing up, Valerie Song’s favorite moments were gardening with her dad and cooking the fresh greens they grew together. Now, she wants to bring that joy to more people by partnering with ex-chef Chase Ando to create the Ava Byte, an indoor smart gardening system. With watering timers and LED lights, the system does all of the gardening work on its own. All you have to do is hook it up to your smartphone and watch your plants grow. The hardest part, they say, will be figuring out what to cook with your fresh ingredients when they’re ready. Each system comes with five pre-planted seed pods, and customers can choose to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, herbs, salad greens, berries and more. The Ava Byte makes gardening simple, the co-founders say, so that everyone from master chefs to average cooks can enjoy fresh ingredients.
The Money: With only 2 days left, Song and Ando’s Indiegogo campaign has already raised $97,828, far surpassing its $30,000 goal. The money generated will be used to fund the final stages of development and manufacturing of the gardening system.

5. Yogawear for Nature Lovers (via Kickstarter)

The Business: Marianne Mollmann wants yogawear that reflects what she feels yoga is: “a joyous celebration of nature.” Rather than wait, she made it for herself. Now, her Brooklyn-based business, Kaer, is selling crop tops, leggings and headbands in a variety of nature-themed prints, all designed to be mixed and matched. The prints on the clothing are photos of flowers photographed in Prospect Park, many by Mollmann’s mother. Kaer also creates nature-inspired rain jackets, maternity clothes, home decor items and accessories.
The Money: With 12 days to go, Mollmann’s campaign has raised $955 dollars of a $2,500 goal. The money she raises will go toward production costs for her yogawear.

[box_light]
Want to be featured in The Story Exchange’s Crowdfunding column? Drop us a line and tell us about your campaign at [email protected].
[/box_light]