After nine years at Google, Phoebe Elder quit to stay home with her two kids
Relieved to get off the hamster wheel of juggling a job and family time, Elder, who lives in suburban Chicago, also feared losing the independence of having her own paycheck and the notoriously tough task of returning to work after a career break.
The Mom Project, a Chicago-based startup, aims to help women like Elder keep a foot in the door while fulfilling companies’ project-based needs.
“I’m not looking to fully return to the workforce at this moment, but I would love the opportunity to do something to stay relevant,” said Elder, 34, who has signed up to be part of The Mom Project’s talent network.
Career interruptions to care for kids or other family members are a top reason women lag far behind men in senior leadership positions, pay and other metrics of success.
The Mom Project, which launched in April, is a digital marketplace connecting those on hiatus from work with companies that need educated and experienced people for temporary projects, permanent posts or to fill in when an employee goes on maternity leave — dubbed a “maternityship,” said Allison Robinson, founder and CEO.
The Mom Project is a for-profit company that collects fees from companies that use its service. It does not charge the moms.
Robinson said she has recruited several hundred women, most in the Chicago area, through professional and alumni associations to join the talent network. Candidates must have an undergraduate degree and five years of professional experience, and be interviewed by a talent manager.
The Mom Project is now in talks with companies, from major corporations to smaller businesses.
Robinson said she is in the final stages of placing candidates into 10 project opportunities, which typically pay $30,000 to $60,000, depending on the role.
The Mom Project, which functions like an Airbnb for hand-selected talent, connects the candidates with the work opportunity, handles the terms of employment and processes the payments.
Elder said she and her husband tried various child care options so that she could keep working. But she felt sad a lot as she missed out on the day-to-day of her kids being little. They are now 2 and 4.
Elder hopes to return to work at some point — and jumped at the opportunity when Robinson found her through LinkedIn and told her about The Mom Project.
Elder’s LinkedIn profile lists more than a decade of experience at companies ranging from Hearst to YouTube to Google, where she most recently managed a team of brand specialists for digital media campaigns — and, at the top, her most recent vocation: stay-at-home mom.
That her stay-at-home status could be an asset rather than a liability reflects a shift in thinking.
And how about stay-at-home dads?
Robinson said the company is focused on recruiting women, but “The Mom Project is an equal opportunity platform that welcomes any person who identifies with our mission and goals.”
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