66 REAL-LEADERS.COM / SPRING 2022 CEO SUCCESS company also offers a spare parts guarantee, so a lost puzzle piece or missing peg doesn’t mean something becomes landfill. “We want to keep our products in use for as many babies as possible,” she says. Lovevery is also focused on expanding initiatives around equity and inclusion and education and access so that all families can experience the transformational benefits of Lovevery’s early learning resources. FUNDRAISE WITH PURPOSE Lovevery’s A-list of investors reflects fundraising skills honed from launching multiple companies, as well as a subscription-based business model that has exceptionally high retention rates and addresses early childhood development. Investor interest is also grounded in a sense of shared purpose. “I think there’s a meaning and a purpose around the backers we have,” she says. “Chan Zuckerberg and Reach Capital want to impact early childhood development. Google wants to help shape the future, and children are our future. And Maevron wants to work with disruptors and innovators who are values-based, so I think that is why we’ve been able to connect with them.” Lovevery also benefited from another source: investors who use philanthropic dollars to make investments, including the ImpactAssets donor advised fund. “They’re some of the most mission-aligned investors we have,” says Rolph. She and her husband, Decker, are also clients of ImpactAssets and have made similar investments in firms. “These are the kinds of investors we want to bring in as we scale. We want to feel like we are all in it together, that there is real respect for what we’re trying to accomplish.” RESEARCH TO REINVENT PLAY From its beginning, Lovevery has been a research-based company, digging into data and scientific reports rather than just designing eye candy for babies, toddlers, and parents. “Research defines everything we do,” she says. “We’ve deconstructed this notion that a toy has to look a certain way — have flashing lights or be cozy and cute — and think of them as tools for learning. We want to be that link between the research around child development and the parents.” Rolph’s long-term vision for Lovevery transcends toy making. “We are building a platform for parents to connect with experts around speech development, occupational therapy, and social-emotional development. We want to be a go-to resource for early childhood development research and thereby improve outcomes for all children.” n Amy Bennett is chief marketing officer at ImpactAssets, a nonprofit financial services firm that increases the flow of capital into investments that deliver financial, social, and environmental returns. “THE HUMAN BRAIN HAS ABOUT 100 BILLION NERVE CELLS, ALL OF WHICH ARE PRESENT AT BIRTH BUT HAVE FEW LINKS BETWEEN THEM. BABIES BRAINS DEVELOP BY CONSTRUCTING AN INTRICATE COMMUNICATION NETWORK — FORMED BY EXPERIENCES CHILDREN HAVE IN THE FIRST 3 YEARS OF LIFE.” LOVEVERY
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