Mom entrepreneurs get grants from Kimberly-Clark

NEENAH - For decades Huggies has embraced mom, or more specifically their babies. Now the diaper brand of Kimberly-Clark is embracing moms and their inventions.

Amy Baxter of Atlanta is a pediatric emergency doctor, mother of three, and the inventor of "Buzzy." The product combines vibrations and a cold compress, designed to minimize pain from getting shots.

"I invented Buzzy for my 13-year-old -- when he was four he had a horrible shot experience," said Baxter. "I wanted a way parents could intervene and protect their kids from pain without being told no by a health care society."

Baxter and 11 other entrepreneurial moms from across the country were selected from nearly 400 applicants to the Huggies MomInspired program.

"Woman are starting business at three-times the rate than any other sub-segment, and yet their access to venture capital, they're getting about three percent of it," said Steve Paljieg, Senior Director of Innovation for Kimberly-Clark. "We though that was a pretty significant inequity where we can jump in there as a company and help solve, help address that for these woman."

Each winner is receiving $15,000 and other resources to start or grow their business.

"The MomInspired program is a way that moms can have the courage to make their dreams reality," said Baxter.

This is the first year of the program. There were not any winners from Wisconsin.

Kimberly-Clark says it plans to expand the Mom-Inspired program in the future but does not yet know yet if it will be an annual program.