Lauren Kay

After finishing my sophomore year at Brown, I went back home to NJ to work as a babysitter and tutor, jobs I had been loved working since I was old enough to be given them.

I advertised day and night, and before I knew it, I had too many jobs to handle. So, I decided to create a network o ...

After finishing my sophomore year at Brown, I went back home to NJ to work as a babysitter and tutor, jobs I had been loved working since I was old enough to be given them.

I advertised day and night, and before I knew it, I had too many jobs to handle. So, I decided to create a network of friends and peers to help me manage the many jobs coming my way.

I quickly threw up a website, and SmartSitting - a personal network that connects NYC families with intelligent, engaging caregivers - was born. I didn't realize at the time that I was starting a 'business', but come that fall, I went back to school, as a student and accidental entrepreneur.

I spent my final two years at Brown balancing schoolwork and SmartSitting, and along the way I connected with my two wonderful partners, fellow Executive Director Dara Epstein, and Associate Director Suzie Zeldin.

Now, we are in our third year of business, and we couldn't be happier with where SmartSitting is. We're working with around 60 families each month and a network of 100 SmartSitters, and are hoping to grow and expand for years to come!

Now that I am living in NYC and running SmartSitting full-time, I am hoping to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, and to learn about ways in which we can improve and tweak our business model. As a babysitter/tutor/mentor, I especially love working with children and teenagers, and encouraging them to enter the world of entrepreneurship!