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Founders Meredith Kaloogian & Abby Pendergrast
Being sick is the worst.
When you wake up with a cold or sore throat, the last thing you want to do is jump out of bed to go grab cold medicine or chicken noodle soup.
What you really want is Mom, or whoever it was that took care of you when you were sick growing up. At least that’s what Meredith Kaloogian wanted when she moved to New York and suddenly her immune system refused to cooperate. She thought, there's an Uber for just about everything, why not a delivery service to help when you’re sick?
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The San Diego native was shocked to find there was nothing out there quite like she envisioned, and quickly called up cofounder Abby Pendergrast to pitch her idea. In February of 2015 the two decided to form Mommy Dearest and develop the product they envisioned could help people across the country, and grow it in Austin.
Six months later, the “sick day” delivery service is prepping for a mid-August launch, timing the news with the start of a new college semester. College students and young professionals make up their core target market, and Kaloogian and Pendergrast hope to get on students and parents radar during orientation.
“We want to give parents some peace of mind,” Kaloogian said. “They’re sending their son or daughter away for school, and now if they get sick they have someone to call.”
Kaloogian and Pendergrast are getting some help from real moms to start out — their own. They will help during the first couple weeks to spread the word and even make deliveries.
You can shop individual medicines and remedies on the website, or choose from one of their four curated packages: the hangover, the natural one, the stress reliever, and the mother load. They did extensive research into what consumers really want and need when they’re sick to create the packages, but if you want something they don’t have on the website, they will do everything they can to get it. They’re partnered with People’s Pharmacy in Austin to stock their inventory.
“We hope people feel comfort from us and from our website, and that they know that we’re here for them and that we’re their mom away from home,” Kaloogian said.
The startup is currently self-funded and they’re still deciding which coworking space is best for them.
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