A Sisterhood of Growing Start-Ups: Uniting Women Who Wear The Pants

In 2016, Liz Oertle was a startup lawyer and mother of two. She’d risen through the ranks of her corporate law firm, only to find herself mommy-tracked when she had kids – not because her family obligations made her less reliable, but because of the possibility that one day they might.

Call it a chance, design, or ya know a pair of pants that fit every shape and size… nothing unites two businesses quite like a shared vision.

Caregiving for the Working Mom

I met Liz, co-founder and CEO of Nanno, for the first time at a startup event in Denver. Her petite frame, captivating eyes, and flawless skin reminded me of a college student. “She is so cute!” I thought to myself; my oh my, can first impressions be off! She owned the crowd in an instant, as she began discussing the national crisis parents are facing in childcare. Lack of accessibility, affordable options, child safety, all major concerns not properly being taken care of. The audience was on the edge of their seats, ready to take action at the first call.

Liz is the mother of two young girls. What I hadn’t yet gained from her monumental speech but later came to learn, is her passion to help parents better understand their options. She believes informed parents will be much better equipped to help their children in all facets of life. The best way I can tell my love story for Nanno is when it solved a tricky situation in early 2020. It so happened my husband was away for the week and my son was home from school while I was working in my home office. As it goes with timing, I was called in to attend an emergency meeting at the office of my largest client. Nanno allowed me to secure a sitter within an hour. We met at the door of the client’s office building, and she watched and played with my son so I could handle business inside with the leadership team. Because of their protocols, I knew Parsa (my son) was in good hands which allowed me to be present and demonstrate my points to the clients with authority and confidence. Might I just add- I delivered a home run that day.

Without Nanno, I am not sure how the scenario would have played out. What’s really special about Nanno (and this particular situation) is that they have an extremely vast network of qualified sitters. The sitter will meet you where you need them, which understandably isn’t always at home. This has become useful when it’s an extra set of eyes you need, whether you’re near or far away. We’ve all been there, PTA meeting, client needs, helping a friend in distress, you name it. Victoria, the sitter who dedicated 3 hours to Parsa, was second to none amazing.

What can be noted about this team (Liz, along with her co-founder Desi) is the countless times they’ve adapted in the face of challenging situations. When COVID-19 struck in March, Liz and Desi were invited to help brainstorm ways to find childcare solutions for medical frontline workers. In just 5 days, they built a platform using Nanno technology that ultimately matched nearly 4,000 families with care throughout Colorado. In response to concerns with traditional babysitting options and Covid-19, Nanno is now providing Staycare; dedicated sitters for the summer and fall. In addition, parents have the option to select a “pod” where a shared single sitter is dedicated to 3-4 families. It’s the “let’s fix this” attitude that makes for such a dynamic duo.

I couldn’t think of a better childcare solution for DispatchMom and I look forward to hearing our customers’ feedback on their childcare services. Above all, I have been inspired by Liz and Desi. These women make $hit happen. They are both moms with families to take care of, yet they work tirelessly to make accessible childcare a reality for every parent throughout the nation. No excuses, no drama, these visionary prowesses are changing the face of the archaic and creating a better childcare system.

What is Nanno? The Next Generation of Care.

Long gone are the days of knocking on your neighbor’s door hoping Susie hadn’t already committed to babysitting across the street. While availability was back then was tricky, you could rest assured knowing your caregiver was a trusted neighborhood source.

Then the internet came along and we had options. An entire realm of potential caregivers to choose from. By the time the bicker over date night sushi or tacos was solved, a babysitter would accept your offer and schedules could be booked online. But as we know the internet has its risks. Fake profiles and disingenuous information leave us with decisions that feel more questionable than rest-assured. Even the highly-vetted candidates with raving reviews still result in us forfeiting our attention to more worrying. Instead of accomplishing what we had hoped to, we spend our time checking in and answering questions for first-time sitters.

In addition, there were no reliable on-demand babysitting services. What if you need a babysitter right now as you deal with an emergency situation?

Taking this all into consideration, Liz decided it was time to give the caregiving system a refresh. Similarly to how social media will provide you with recommended contacts, Nanno uses its algorithm to provide you with caregivers in your network. The result is a trusted neighborhood feel with the reach of the internet.
Liz went a step further and recognized the vetting process shouldn’t stop at a background check. The Nanno certified caregiver process includes their own Nanno Caregiver Test created with key skills in mind, all necessary for caregiving. Candidates are then continually monitored and screened with the responsibility of upholding the highest standard.

Lastly, Liz understood the importance of a dynamic where caregivers feel truly valued, resulting in both satisfied employees and customers. By establishing their 10 Core Values and building it into their brand, they’ve been able to differentiate as a top-notch caregiving service.
Despite Nanno only being a few years old, Liz has shown both parents and entrepreneurs you can iron your pantsuit and wear it too.