On a sunny day in Toronto, Melissa’s mother balanced her youngest in one arm and groceries in the other. She moved swiftly to catch up with her daughter crossing the street and lodged her heel in an unforgiving sewer grate. She crumbled under the weight of her cargo and let the groceries sprawl out on the pavement in order to save her child. The accident left her with a bruised face and chin; however, she continued to prioritize her children until she could take off the necessary three days from work to recover.
The image of her unyielding mother stuck with her, and she knew something needed to be done so she could safely wear heels while tackling the inevitable challenges of womanhood. Krippits were born.
Krippits are innovative, 3D printed high-heel protectors that provide much-needed reinforcement on uneven surfaces and prevent damage to your favorite shoes.
During the process of launching her product, Melissa was faced with the isolation of entrepreneurship and researched female founder communities that cultivated support and guidance. She found EnrichHER in Atlanta, GA and was immediately drawn to the diverse community of women, as well as available resources such as the calendar of accelerator programs.
EnrichHER Spark Washington, D.C. 2018 Pitch Finalists. Shown from left to right are Shawntel Asemota White, Founder Om Health.Care, Melissa Chung Founder Krippit, Roshawnna Novellus, Founder EnrichHER, Shreya Bhargava,F ounder District Mugs, and Amy Fan, M.D. Founder & Pediatrician at Kidner.
Through the EnrichHER pitch competition, Melissa was able to present Krippit to an exclusive group of top leaders in Washington, DC on the Halcyon Incubator Platform, which led to signing her first big subscription client. Melissa even made the trip to Atlanta from Toronto to support her fellow EnrichHER family and provide insights on her experience as an entrepreneur.
Melissa Chung, Founder Krippit and Roshawnna Novellus, Founder EnrichHER at EnrichHER Spark National Conference located at Atlanta Tech Village in March of 2018
We couldn’t be more proud of your hard work, Melissa, and appreciate you accelerating our power and stride in heels!
Founder Advice:
- I strongly advice joining an inclusive platform for support and validation of your product or service. We are always reassuring ourselves as women and it’s nice to know other women founders who are trying to create something
- Keep an open mind and accept feedback.
- If you want to make a product, check out a local maker’s space to use their 3-D equipment to create a prototype. Here in Canada, we have 3-D printing at our public libraries that anyone can take advantage of.
