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Devin: What is your superpower?
Sujay: The first one would have to be resilience. That's the biggest quality that I have. That sort of kept me going in this journey as an entrepreneur.
In today's episode of "Superpowers for Good," I had the pleasure of speaking with Sujay Suresh Kumar, the co-founder and CEO of Lilu, Inc. Our conversation unveiled groundbreaking advancements in breastfeeding technology that are not just innovative but are reshaping the postpartum experience for mothers globally.
Sujay participated in the Kinect Capital Live Pitch on Superpowers for Good in March, winning the Judges Choice Award. This resulted in a $500 crowdfunding investment from The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation.
Sujay explained how conventional breast pumps have largely been unchanged for decades, often resulting in painful and inefficient milk extraction. "Moms have been experiencing issues with breast pumping. It's a painful process, making motherhood more miserable," Sujay shared. This revelation highlighted a significant gap in women's health technology—a gap that Lilu is determined to bridge.
Under Sujay's leadership, Lilu has developed the Omni Breast Pump, which incorporates patented breast massage technology. This isn't just an incremental improvement; it's a leap forward. The massage feature mimics the natural actions of a baby, significantly enhancing milk yield by stimulating milk-producing glands. "What we're doing differently is using our proprietary massage technology to add that extra element of comfort and stimulation to the breast," he explained. This technology helps mothers produce up to 55% more milk, alleviating common issues like clogged ducts and mastitis.
But Lilu's innovation doesn't stop at hardware. They are also pioneering a lactation tracking app, the Milksense Tracker, which uses machine learning algorithms to provide actionable insights into a mother's lactation and well-being. This digital tool helps both mothers and healthcare providers by offering data-driven feedback and support, thereby improving both physical and mental health outcomes.
Reflecting on the broader impact, Sujay remarked, "Helping moms understand their lactation and all the factors around this is going to be very important." This approach not only supports mothers in sustaining breastfeeding but also alleviates the economic burden associated with inadequate breastfeeding solutions.
As I spoke with Sujay, his passion for making a tangible difference in the lives of mothers and their babies was palpable. It's clear that through innovation and empathy, Lilu is setting a new standard in women’s health, making the journey of motherhood a little easier and a lot more empowering.
AI Episode Summary
1. Devin Thorpe introduces the show and Sujay Kumar, CEO of Lilu, highlighting Kumar's win in the Kinect Capital live pitch with a $500 investment.
2. Kumar expresses gratitude for being on the show and proceeds to discuss the Lilu massage bra, with Devin playing a video from Kumar's YouTube channel showcasing the product's benefits.
3. Various testimonials in the video highlight the bra's effectiveness in preventing clogged ducts, its comfort, and its ability to significantly increase milk output, emphasizing the positive impact on mothers' experiences.
4. Kumar describes Lilu as a women's health company focused on creating tech-enabled products for more comfortable and efficient postpartum care, detailing their key products: the Omni Breast Pump and the Milksense lactation tracking app.
5. He explains the existing problems with breast pumps and introduces Lilu's approach, which incorporates patented breast massage technology for improved efficiency and comfort, aiming to aid mothers in pumping more milk and avoiding complications.
6. The economic implications are discussed, with Kumar mentioning a survey indicating mothers spend over $1,000 to make breastfeeding work, not including additional costs if switching to formula. Lilu's products aim to reduce these expenses and extend breastfeeding duration.
7. The conversation shifts to the introduced Milkense lactation tracking app designed to assist mothers and healthcare providers by providing detailed data on lactation and associated factors, contributing to enhanced care and support.
8. Kumar's co-founder, Adriana Vasquez Ortiz, is introduced as another key figure in Lilu's inception, highlighting their shared commitment to improving women's health through innovation, prompted by their academic collaboration and personal observations on breastfeeding challenges.
9. Devin questions Kumar about the resilience needed for entrepreneurship, eliciting examples of challenges faced, including Kumar's two-year stay in Shenzhen, China, for product development and dealing with FDA shipment issues due to a misunderstanding.
10. Kumar emphasizes resilience and empathy as his superpowers, advising others on the importance of remembering the impact of their work when facing obstacles, also offering information on how to engage with Lilu through their website and social media for those interested in their products and app.
How to Develop Resilience As a Superpower
Sujay identifies his superpowers as resilience and empathy. I asked him to help us better understand resilience.
Resilience, as Sujay describes it, is essential for navigating the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship. It's about maintaining your mission's focus despite the daily challenges and setbacks. This quality has not only sustained him through tough times but has also fueled his drive to innovate and support women's health through his company's products.
One compelling story Sujay shared that illustrates his resilience involved his time in Shenzhen, China. In 2016, he relocated there to accelerate his company's product development through the Hax hardware accelerator program. Despite facing significant language and cultural barriers, he spent two years on the ground, forging key manufacturing partnerships to bring his product to market. This phase was crucial in overcoming logistical and operational challenges to meet their product launch goals, demonstrating his superpower of resilience in action.
To develop resilience, Sujay suggests consistently reminding oneself of the impact your work has on others. For him, revisiting customer testimonials and recognizing the positive changes his products bring to mothers' lives reinforces the purpose behind his efforts. This practice helps to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and build a mindset that can withstand adversity.
By following Sujay's example and advice, you can make resilience a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!
Guest Profile
Sujay Suresh Kumar (he/him):
Cofounder and CEO, Lilu, Inc
About Lilu, Inc:
Lilu (wearlilu.com) builds tech products to make postpartum care more comfortable, efficient and pain-free for new moms.
We’re building two complementary product lines:
1) The Omni Breast Pump is the ultimate breast pump, using our patented breast massage technology to help moms pump 55% more milk!
2) The MilkSense Tracker to help new moms track their breastfeeding and pumping sessions and provide them with unprecedented insights into their lactation and well-being.
Website: wearlilu.com
X/Twitter Handle: @wearlilu
Company Facebook Page: fb.com/wearlilu
Other URL: wefunder.com/lilu
Biographical Information: Sujay Suresh Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of Lilu, got a Master’s in Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. At the High Energy Physics Group at UPenn, he designed the circuits for the ATLAS experiment, CERN. Prior to Lilu, Sujay co-founded Jyothi, a nonprofit organization in India, to help survivors of harassment and rape by providing them with a platform to voice their grievances anonymously and access to self-defense and mental health workshops. He also worked at Reliance Jio Infocomm, where he was an integral part of the team that launched 4G in India. He spent 2 years in Shenzhen, China, vetting and working closely with manufacturers to bring the Lilu Massager Bra to market and he is an advocate and thought leader in innovation for women’s health. He was named in the Forbes 30under30 list in 2022.
X/Twitter Handle: @thesujaysuresh
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sujaysuresh/
Instagram Handle: @wearlilu
Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar
If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.
Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on May 14, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, you must first become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.
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We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.
Revolutionizing Breastfeeding: A Game-Changer in Women’s Health