Kids2 is committed to partnering and empowering parent entrepreneurs
Atlanta, (August 3, 2022) – Kids2, a global company that designs holistic solutions to help early-stage parents and families, today announced its Ingenuity® brand has a new licensing partnership with bökee™, the product that makes bottle prep possible with just one hand. The partnership with bökee is Kid2’s latest endeavor toward empowering parent entrepreneurs.
Born from two dads’ shared frustration with bottle prep while soothing a hangry baby, the bökee by Ingenuity suctions to smooth countertops, giving parents and caregivers a much-needed free hand to multi-task. For breast milk, it prevents tragic spills by keeping freshly pumped bottles and silicone pump parts upright during milk transfer. This one-piece, dishwasher-safe, food-grade silicone bottle prep accessory is the must-have baby registry item new parents don’t know they need. And, once they have it, only wish they had it earlier!
“Baby products created by parents for parents are highly sought-after because they provide trusted, realistic solutions—and help create tiny wins in everyday moments. The bökee by Ingenuity is just that, an innovative bottle prep product that saves parents time and frustration,” said Ryan Gunnigle, CEO and Owner of Kids2. “Kids2 is focused on delivering products that make parenting easier. When we find parent entrepreneurs who align with our purpose of creating tiny wins and building bright futures, we jump at the opportunity to partner together to bring the solutions to market.”
Childhood friends, Brandon Stuart, dad of twins, and Andrew Doan, dad of three, along with Brandon’s wife, Lauren, worked together to solve the bottle dilemma they agreed was subpar. The team shares more than the bökee invention, the Stuart twins and Andrew’s second child were all born August 3, 2016 – six years ago today!
“It is empowering as a new parent, in my case to premature twins, to turn a real parenting point of contention – making a bottle while soothing a hangry baby - into a less stressful parenting experience.,” said Brandon Stuart, co-creator of the bökee. “Thanks to Kids2, we can now empower parents around the globe with a little much-needed relief at mealtime.”
“To the delight of parents, the bökee is multi-use. It helps to prevent breast milk spills, to open sippy cups and even those hard to open jars and medicine bottles,” said Andrew Doan, co-creator of the bökee and father of three. “An added bonus, we designed the bökee to integrate seamlessly with warm, minimalist aesthetics and colors that work for any kitchen design or countertop.”
The bökee by Ingenuity is Kids2’s latest endeavor to support parent entrepreneurs and bring a fresh portfolio of parent-designed solutions to the masses. Kids2, which owns Baby Einstein®, Ingenuity®, Bright Starts® and Summer®, partners with parent entrepreneurs across the globe who are creating great solutions and products.
“Who knows real-time parenting problems better than parents living through the situation? That’s why Kids2 has a strong belief in partnering with like-minded parents and partners that are designing unique solutions for the next generation of parents,” said Sam Hankey, Vice President of Business Development, Kids2. “We are constantly inspired by parents, like Brandon, Lauren and Andrew, who are delivering solutions, which we want to scale to create millions more tiny wins around the globe.”
Kids2 helps parent entrepreneurs scale and deliver products to families everywhere, like Little Muffincakes. A minority-owned children’s brand, Little Muffincakes was born out of Founder and Owner Debra Raney’s difficulty finding products for her children and grandchildren that displayed characters who looked like them. Grounded in the belief that representation matters from birth, all products feature diverse children. For more information on the parent entrepreneur program, please contact Sam Hankey at samuel.hankey@kidsii.com.
The bökee by Ingenuity is available online with plans to roll-out globally and expand the line to additional one-handed solutions in the future.
The Stuart’s Story
Ahead of the one-handed bottle dilemma, Brandon and his wife Lauren, faced many complications during pregnancy. Pregnant with twins, at 18 weeks their son, Owen, was falling behind in gestational weeks due to intrauterine growth restriction. Lauren also developed cholestasis, a liver condition that sometimes occurs in late pregnancy. She had to minimize all activity so more blood would flow to her uterus, and at 28 weeks she was put on full monitored bed rest at the hospital. She delivered Owen and daughter Elodie at 32 weeks. Elodie was born at 3 lbs 15 oz and spent 5 weeks in the NICU. Owen was just 1lb 13oz and spent 8 weeks there.
The challenges continued as they took the twins home. There were late night milk drop-offs at the hospital, underlying medical conditions that required weekly therapy multiple times a week (times two), for 3 years, on top of all the normal infant trials and tribulations.
“Having fed the twins breast, formula and donor milk through bottles and tube-feedings, I’ve seen feeding challenges on every level. That is why I’m so proud that the bökee is inclusive to all types of feeding, no matter how or what. It truly makes a real daily parenting experience less stressful,” said Lauren Stuart, mom of twins and bökee Marketing lead.
For the Stuarts, the bökee is a tiny win that is paving the way towards a bright future for the family. Today, the twins are thriving and will turn six this month.
About Kids2 Group
Kids2 is a global purpose-driven company that designs solutions to help early-stage parents and families create tiny wins that build bright futures. The Kids2® brand portfolio includes the leading infant, baby, and toddler brands comprised of world-renowned brands Baby Einstein®, Ingenuity®, Bright Starts®, and Summer Infant®, as well as a vertically-integrated manufacturing facility, and various joint-venture partnerships. Kids2 sets out to create holistic solutions that create more tiny wins and bright futures for all families. Headquartered in Atlanta, Kids2 spans globally serving customers in more than 90 countries and has been inventing and reinventing baby products for more than 50 years.
About Ingenuity
Ingenuity is a premium baby brand, owned by Kids2, that provides on-trend products that encourage families to thrive. Designed with parenthood in mind, Ingenuity considers the top struggles of new parents and designs smart solutions. To help parent and baby get enough shuteye, Ingenuity offers sleek and modern sleep solutions made of soft, breathable fabrics. A variety of mealtime product, including high chairs and booster seats, offer time and space-saving conveniences to cut down on hungry-time hassles. A selection of swings and bouncers soothe and delight while giving mom hands-free time with baby in sight.
About bökee
Created and designed by parents, for parents, the bökee enables bottle prep with just one hand. It also prevents breast milk spills during milk transfer by keeping bottles and pump parts upright. Frustrated by the everyday dilemma of trying to make a bottle while soothing a hangry baby, childhood friends, Brandon Stuart, dad of twins, and Andrew Doan, dad of three, along with Brandon’s wife, Lauren, created this the first of its kind, patented solution to give all parents an extra hand. The Stuarts’ experience with all types of baby feeding, including breast milk, formula, donor milk and a feeding tube, reinforced the versatility of the bökee as a must-have item for all early-stage parents. The parenting team is now at work on additional one-handed solutions to find new ways to help parents that have their hands full.
Kids2 is a global company that designs solutions to help early-stage parents and families create tiny wins that build bright futures. The Kids2™ brand portfolio includes the leading infant, baby, and toddler brands Baby Einstein®, Bright Starts®, and Ingenuity®. Headquartered in Atlanta, Kids2 spans globally with 12 offices on four continents serving customers in more than 90 countries and has been inventing and reinventing baby products for 50 years. Led by CEO Ryan Gunnigle, it operates with an agile start-up approach, which fosters the company’s growing success.