Toymaker in a digital age - Melissa Cash, Co-founder & CEO at Pok Pok

I caught up with Melissa Cash, the co-founder and CEO of Pok Pok, an award winning app for kids that uses Montessori inspired toys and a playroom to encourage open ended play for kids aged 2-7. A valuable episode for CEOs full of experience shares from Melissa about how she stumbled into entrepreneurship and becoming a CEO without an idea, how she successfully fundraised while pregnant and successfully honored her maternity leave, systems she’s found helpful for inspiring play, empowerment and empathy among her team, as well as the value of the people you surround yourself in empowering you as CEO. I had so much fun getting to know Melissa in an episode filled with curiosity, play, and storytelling - enjoy!
Connect with Melissa:
- / melissa-cash
- / melissacash_
- playpokpok.com/
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00:00 Hook
00:33 Intro
01:49 Who is Melissa Today
03:10 Ways Melissa spends time with herself
05:31 Growing up in a family that valued curiosity and new experiences
08:07 Following her curiosity to Munich, Disney, and the world of Play and Kids
14:59 What Melissa gained from operating safely outside of her comfort zone
17:57 Melissa's serendipitous transition into entrepreneurship sans idea!
23:37 Biggest takeaway for entrepreneurs looking for an idea
25:26 How Pok Pok is doing in 2023: growth and operations
30:07 Intentionality around Pok Pok's Playroom being calm and not overstimulating for kids
33:12 What parents can look out for to protect kids from overstimulation in online/app/game content
37:22 What goes into toy and playroom development at Pok Pok
42:02 How Melissa ran her Seed fundraise while pregnant and advice to other women fundraising or running companies while pregnant
49:10 System's Melissa's adopted to empower her team as CEO
52:43 How people have empowered Melissa to grow as the best CEO she can be