Written by Sahithi Divi as told by Sujay Suresh Kumar
Engineer, Entrepreneur, CTO
Currently based out of the United States , Sujay has co founded a tech start up called ‘ Wearlilu ‘ that was formed after recognising the inclusive benefits for a mother provided by a breast pumping bra. Their idea resonates with the operational jeopardy’s of especially working mothers who find it very challenging to breast feed while battling between motherhood and professional containments.
Sujay also happens to be my classmate from high school while in Hyderabad, Telangana where he spent most of his childhood. When asked about his view on gender parity as a child he explains how he unlocks certain norms in today’s context with how some rules are only oppressed upon a single gender. Activities performed on daily basis are ingrained with gender norms; are often not treated with revolt and taken for granted, he adds. Systemic differences are required from the basic level to see through this challenge.
During his under grad years, Sujay was shaken by a prominent case of rape that took place in India for which the whole country shouted back in rebellion for justice to that girl. That was the time he began working on a non profit project called Jyothi – a 24 hour awareness patrol for educating women about harassment , violence and all the information required by a victim of abuse. Although he moved on from this project his journey started as a change-maker that very moment.
Sujay moved to the United States to pursue his Masters Degree in Science from the University Of Pennsylvania where he met Ariana ( his now co founder ) in Robotics class. He admits to be surprised on that day to learn about the breast feeding technologies available for moms from the last fifty years with very less innovation but unlimited scope and unexplored markets. He developed a rational inclination for the idea that empowers mothers during the time of their lives that cannot be reversed. In his research he also found that more than 65 percent of the mothers have issues with the existing products in the market and this is a wonderful opportunity for science and technology to make a real impact in this space. A diversified approach is required to understand the needs of millions of different mothers with objective needs. ‘ Wearlilu ‘ aligns with SDG 3 healthcare, 5 gender equality and 8 decent work and economic growth of the United Nations Global Goals. With 3.2 million new moms in United States every year ; scaling is still a challenge as it points towards the fundraising cycle due to the fragmented nature of this industry. As one product cannot serve all moms he is parallely focusing on bringing a line of products to serve the diverse needs of new moms.
Sujay defines women as a resilient and the perfect tool for making a change in the world, India as a change which is getting there and love as compassion.
Written by Sahithi Divi ( Source : http://www.impactscientist.com )
