I love supporting women alums of Stanford’s GSB, I love women entrepreneurs in Chicago, and I love fashionable kid clothes. So, it is my great pleasure share the story of Megan Bernstein, founder of Starfish Kids, in this week’s edition of #hacksthenewsletter.

AR: Why did you launch this brand?
MB:Over the course of time since having my son, particularly as he’s grown older and clothes need to wear better and be more functional (while still being cute!), I have struggled to find cute, high-quality kids’ clothes that weren’t crazy expensive. What should have been a fun, joyful experience was a time-consuming chore full of compromises. So I took matters (and my retail background from working at iconic brands like Tiffany & Co., and Nordstrom) into my own hands and launched Starfish Kids, a line of thoughtfully-crafted, versatile staples that are as adorable as they are functional, with a superior fit, super-soft feel, and family-friendly prices – designed to bring more joy to your days.We obsessed over every last detail so you don’t have to: regular and slim sizing options, reinforced knees, plenty of pockets, and sustainable non-toxic fabrics that can stand up to serious horseplay. The sophisticated (but playful!) palette of colors and prints brilliantly mix and match for effortless dressing.And because we believe in spreading joy beyond your closet, we donate a portion of proceeds from every purchase to children in need through our partnership with Cradles to Crayons.AR: What has been the greatest challenge to date prelaunch? Greatest triumph?
MB:My greatest pre-launch challenge to date has been the added timeline (notwithstanding the added cost) of being committed to Starfish Kids clothes (exclusive of trims) being OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified. This standard was important to me as a mom and as someone who in launching a clothing business wanted to do my part in making things better- this standard is better for children’s health and skin, as well as better environmentally, though it adds a significant amount of time to the process of creating clothes. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 means the clothes are free of more than 300 hazardous chemicals, allergens, and skin irritants (think pesticides, heavy metals, carcinogenic colourants, formaldehyde, and pesticides). Testing certifies that the textiles pose no health risk and have a skin-friendly pH level (i.e. won’t cause irritation). We opted for this higher standard not only for health reasons, but also because leaving these toxins out of our products is better for the planet – and that’s something we care about deeply.My greatest triumph was seeing everything come together at our brand photo shoot in August– seeing the clothes in their final designs, final patterns and colorways on our child models for the photo shoot– the kids loved the clothes, the clothes looked and felt great, and the parents of the kids loved the clothes- a true win-win-win!AR: Where can people find your kid clothes for this holiday season?
MB:You can shop us at online at www.starfishkids.com or check us out on Instagram @starfishkidsco: https://www.instagram.com/starfishkidsco/

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