Sarah Eastman is the co-founder of Boolean Girl Tech, a startup building tech toys that inspire girls. Their flagship product is the Boolean Box, a build-it-yourself computer kit, designed by girls for everyone. Additionally, she is the co-founder of a nonprofit whose mission is diversifying tech by teaching girls, under-represented groups, and low-income kids how to code and build engineering projects. They run summer camps, online classes, and mentorship programs for kids.
Before Boolean Girl, Sarah spent her career writing code, as a software engineer specializing in Big Data and internet analytics, with stints at The Washington Post, Prudential, in consulting and the startup world. She has a degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics from Georgetown University.
Brian Moran is the co-founder of Boolean Girl Tech. A startup veteran with over 20 years of experience, he has expertise in building technology companies and launching innovative products that solve important problems. Prior to his work at Boolean Girl Tech, he was the co-founder of STOP LLC, a highly successful startup that he shepherded from product launch to a 40% market share in three years. He has held multiple product manager and VP positions in Big Data and Internet of Things companies, including Wireless Matrix, CalAmp, and Savi Technology. He is also the co-founder of a nonprofit that teaches kids how to code.
Brian has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in systems engineering, holds a patent for co-inventing a GPS-related device, and has received entrepreneurial awards for his visionary leadership in the startup community.
What is Boolean Girl Tech all about?
Driven by the passion of its founders, Boolean Girl Tech is building tech toys that inspire girls. Our flagship product is the Boolean Box, a build-it-yourself computer and engineering kit, designed by girls for everyone. We also operate a nonprofit that runs all of our educational programs. Our mission is to diversify tech by teaching girls, under-represented groups, and low-income kids how to code and do engineering projects.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
Brian Moran had worked for years in tech startups managing teams of engineers. He wanted to find a passion project, something to give back. After talking to coworkers and friends, he started working on ideas for improving diversity in tech, specifically to encourage more women to pursue STEM careers. Sarah Eastman was a software engineer who had seen the diversity issues firsthand and wanted to inspire the next generation.
What was the biggest problem you encountered with your business and how did you overcome it?
Our product was developed somewhat by accident, which meant we didn’t have the necessary expertise in-house when we launched.
What happened was we were teaching girls to code in summer camps and after-school clubs, and we needed a kit for our classes that contained all the parts of a computer, so girls could assemble it, power up, and start learning. We experimented with designs until we found what worked best. When the girls got their hands on them, they asked for kits of their own, and the Boolean Box was born.
When we saw the customer demand, it was obvious that we should bring the product to market, but that meant we needed to hire people who could help us. We found a great graphic designer to work on the packaging, we hired accountants and a lawyer, and we developed an awesome comms and marketing team. Finding the right people was crucial, which we did through some combination of our existing professional networks and good, old-fashioned job postings. There’s no magic bullet for building the ideal team, but it’s crucial to selling at scale.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
We talk with other founders and read as much as possible about how others are solving problems similar to the ones we are facing. The topics vary from financing to tools to marketing ideas.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
- Steve Blank– The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win or The Startup Owner’s Manual
- Jeffrey Gitomer – Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless: How to Make Customers Love You, Keep Them Coming Back and Tell Everyone They Know
- Kathleen Kelly Janus – Social Startup Success
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Start telling your story before you build your product. Get feedback, create buzz, don’t keep it a secret. Build your community, incorporate their feedback, and tap into customer passion before you invest in product development.
What is your favorite quote?
It is cheaper to keep a current customer than it is to find a new one?
We are really proud of the fact that we didn’t just launch a product; we built a community that inspires and educates kids, and they keep coming back.
From our virtual “career day” events to our Girl Scout meetings to our summer camps to the Boolean Box, our students stay engaged. Instead of the traditional computing environment in which girls opt-out, ours opt-in. And ask for more.
Besides the obvious social media tools available, what are the top 3 most useful tools or resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
Email marketing is powerful. We have a very loyal customer base and a high open-rate on our emails, so it’s a great way to communicate with our customers.
Community-building is a cornerstone of Boolean Girl, both in mission and strategy. We believe that our students will benefit not just from an educational experience, but a whole community of STEM professionals, like-minded kids, and STEM events that inspire and engage them for the long-term. We host ambassador events in which female STEM professionals and authors talk to our kids about education, career paths, and life skills. Many of our students learn about us through word of mouth. 96% of girls at our camps say they would take another coding class with us and recommend us to a friend. When we delight our students, they want to spread the word about us.
How is running a tech company different than what you thought it would be?
We’ve been surprised by how much hunger there is for a product like this, which means we don’t have to be in a traditional sales role as much as we thought. In the movies, you see entrepreneurs knock on doors and eventually “land the big account”, and it saves the day. For us, our social mission-inspired our product, and our students responded.
How can readers get in touch with you?
Our official Twitter account is @BooleanGirlProj or you can reach us via email at info@booleangirl.org. To reach us directly, you can tweet @BrianMoranDC or @SarahJaneHoya.
Tech Entrepreneur Interview: Taly Matiteyahu Founder of Blink, Changing Online Dating
