NAME OF STARTUP: Momentix Toys – Wooden toys for chain reactions machines.
FOUNDER: Alana Aamodt
THE IDEA: What is the problem being solved by your startup / business?:
STEM fields are complex and vast, but STEM education and STEM toys emphasize a narrow definition of success: solving problems quickly, memorizing facts, following instructions to a T.
Meanwhile, skills that are just as important in science fields (and life) like creativity, collaboration, and resilience go under-emphasized and unrewarded. This imbalance contributes to STEM’s serious diversity problem.
THE FOUNDER’S STORY: When and how did you come up with the idea for the business?:
Alana and Anna met studying physics in college, where they experienced the problems with STEM education firsthand, especially in the context of often being the only women in their classes.
With backgrounds ranging from technical research in robotics to teaching 7th grade, they designed Momentix by drawing from their unique personal experience as artists, researchers, and educators. They both design and make toys
WHO IS THE CUSTOMER: What is the typical profile of your target customer? Where would they be located?:
Parents, teachers, Museum facilitators
LESSONS TO SHARE: What 3 key lessons from your startup journey you’d like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs?:
Momentix helps people of all ages practice dynamic, improvisational problem-solving through hands-on play. One way we do that is by making super fun, open-ended toys, like our Momentix MotionKit: a wooden set that intuitively interacts with the world around you to create chain reaction machines. With this kit, anyone can practice reimagining everyday objects and experimenting with how they can connect in new ways.
In addition to our MotionKit, we offer open source resources for educators and run workshops based around the idea that chain reaction machines are the perfect tool for both learning STEM concepts and practicing 21st century skills like creativity, resilience, and collaboration in a screen-free, analog way.
Momentix is a beautiful wooden toy designed to help you (whether you are 5 years old or 50) practice jumping out of the system (affectionately called jootsing) — the type of thinking required for true change. As you play, you’ll naturally practice mindfulness, creativity, improvisational problem-solving, and resilience.
We want to create a world where play is valued, one where it’s seen as a valid and meaningful tool to discovery and failure is not a source of shame, but a source of clarity.
We’re here to help you see things in new ways, ground yourself in the real world, and remember (and practice) how to be silly, wacky, playful, and experimental again, because we won’t solve the big problems of the 21st century without seeing new connections. You’ll find all of this is more fun when you team up with other people. Bonus points, since collaborating leads to more innovative solutions.
HQ City: Colorado, USA
Website URL: https://www.momentixtoys.com/
Number of Employees: 1-5
Company’s LinkedIN URL:: https://www.linkedin.com/company/momentix-toys
