A Chicago startup is taking a stand for pregnant women on Chicago public transportation by helping them find a seat.
The Mom Project, a VC-backed startup that's created an online platform to help companies hire female candidates, will distribute "Baby on Board" buttons for pregnant women to wear on the L and CTA busses. The goal is to encourage riders to give up their seat when an expecting mother comes aboard.
The Mom Project is creating the buttons, which will be given out at the Goddess and The Baker (225 N. LaSalle St.) on Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
"It’s a small gesture with a big collective impact," Colleen Curtis, head of community at The Mom Project, said in a statement. "We’re very excited for the CTA launch to more widely promote this initiative and hope this bridge of buttons ensures more women in Chicagoland arrive to their destinations with piece of mind."
Founded in 2016, The Mom Project created a job marketplace platform that helps women connect with potential employers. It specializes in helping women who have left the job market to start a family or for other personal reasons get back into the workforce.
In December 2018, the startup raised an $8 million Series A round of funding led by Initialized Capital, a VC firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Some of its other backers include OCA Ventures, IrishAngels and Wintrust Financial. Its platform has grown to 150,000 professionals and more than 2,000 companies, the company said.
The Mom Project credits Megan Nufer, a CTA commuter who gave birth to her first daughter in May, for spearheading the idea.
"I’m so thankful that The Mom Project has taken the initiative to launch this program in Chicago to help expecting moms feel safer and more secure as they move about the city," she said.
