Raven Fisher is a mother of two, and after a few trials says she realized that there was a gap in the market for children’s play places.
Fisher noticed that the open places were frequented by children over the age of six and often so busy that mothers wouldn’t have the opportunity to truly connect with one another – she set out to create her own.
A place where mothers of young children could bring their children and connect — creating a valuable source of support for one another, essentially creating a community.
At Social Tykes, toddlers will be able to participate in an open play place, and educational activities created specifically for children under the age of six.
Mothers can partake in “mommy and me” yoga classes can also engage with the other mothers in an intimate environment where they can drop off their children for up to 5 hours with the facility.
Fisher received a $60,000 cash grant from the Motor City Match Program and another $60,000 in microloan funding from Detroit Development Fund. She was also able to find and secure a convenient location in the Corktown Historic District in Detroit.
She also received $25,000 in microloan funding from The Corktown Foundation, bringing the total amount of funding to $145,000.
Raven told Small Business Brain, “find a mentor– one that doesn’t mind you bugging them,” adding that it’s important to have someone who knows what they are doing to hold your hand throughout the process.
