Lisa Love is the CMO and Co-Founder of Tanoshi, where the mission is to provide an equitable digital education for all kids. She oversees the planning, development, and execution of the marketing strategy for Tanoshi.
Lisa began her career over 20 years ago, working for Fortune 500 CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies, including Heinz and Del Monte, in brand and product marketing. She managed a portfolio of brands that generated revenue of up to $75M. Lisa also spent 11 years working for the #1 online retailer of wine, where she wore many hats and worked in various departments throughout her tenure, including operations, merchandising, and partnerships.
Lisa appeared on Shark Tank with Team Tanoshi in 2020, where they received an offer from Daymond John. Lisa was also named 100 Powerful Women of 2020 by Entrepreneur Magazine and Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs of 2020 by Inc Magazine.
Lisa is passionate about giving all kids a fair chance to succeed.
When COVID hit, 16 million U.S. students were without a computer or Internet access in the United States. 800 million students worldwide.
Tanoshi is bridging the digital divide by providing educational, affordable, and safe computers for kids with pre-loaded, curated content. Kids can do their homework and learn to code on the Tanoshi without internet access.
What is Tanoshi all about?
Tanoshi was created to provide a brighter future for ALL kids. Every child should have the opportunity to develop 21st-century computer skills needed to excel in today’s school environment – such as typing, familiarity with common productivity apps including Google Docs and Sheets, and coding.
However, millions of kids, especially from lower-income households and school districts, do not have the same opportunities as those from more affluent families and school districts, resulting in a homework gap.
When COVID hit our country in 2020, 16 million K-12 students within the U.S. were without either a computer or Internet access. 800 million students worldwide.
As a result of studying the market for years, our first product, the Tanoshi 2-in-1 computer for ages 6 to 12, was developed and launched in 2018. Our computers are educational and affordable, pre-loaded with productivity and learning apps, best-in-class parental controls, and the Internet is not required for kids to complete homework assignments.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I grew up with an educator. My mom taught in South Central, where many of her students fell behind. I watched my mom persevere through systemic challenges just to bring her students up to grade level.
My dad was an engineer and worked for IBM during my childhood. He was one of the first Blacks to graduate from Purdue University in Electrical Engineering. I grew up seeing the benefits of technology and, more specifically, the advantages of a computer.
Over the years, my parent’s passion for education and technology opened my eyes to the issues surrounding our education system and how I can do my part to help solve these issues through technology.
In 2017, I met my co-founder Brad Johnston at a pitch contest. His educational kids computer was brilliant, so I introduced myself to him after the pitch. We hit it off.
We began working together and launched the Tanoshi 2-in-1 kids computer in 2018.
What was the biggest problem you encountered with your business and how did you overcome it?
There have been many challenges along the way, but the rewards are far greater. The greatest challenge has been funding. We have not received any VC funding to date. Our supply of computers has been limited, and demand has been enormous. Since our launch 3 years ago, we’ve sold out of computers 7 times. We are fortunate to be in a “demand greater than supply” situation, but of course, this means we cannot get our computer into the hands of those in need.
We are currently running an equity crowdfunding campaign through Start Engine. We are seeking investments through the greater community in exchange for shares in Tanoshi. Unlike traditional investments in start-ups, anyone can be an investor in Tanoshi. Crowdfunding follows Tanoshi’s ethos of bringing products to the community by the community.
Before Start Engine, a majority of our funding has been through government loan programs.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
I make sure I schedule in some daily “me time.” Whether it’s meditating, working out, or just going outside and taking a walk – you need a good 30 minutes every day to escape from everything. Entrepreneurship is a rewarding but tough journey, and you need to be mentally, physically, and spiritually strong.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
The importance of networking. When starting a company, networking is key. I would encourage every entrepreneur to start networking now. Build those relationships because you’ll need them later down the line. Your team and your possible investors will come from your networking efforts.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new startup, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I spoke about the importance of networking. I would do my research and spend that money on conferences and trade shows, and I would even consider applying to an accelerator program. I would try to gain as much information as possible at these events and network like crazy. Knowledge is power but also in the entrepreneurship world, it’s all about who you know.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
As you navigate your way through your entrepreneurial journey, one way to move forward is to do one thing: FOCUS. Focus on what’s important. Focus on the positive. Once this happens, things will start to fall in place.
Focusing might sound so simple and very cliche, but it’s one of the hardest things for entrepreneurs to do. We tend to get pulled in many directions and lose focus quickly. That’s why it’s always good to have that one person on your team or in your circle that can put you in check and reel you back in.
I use Canva every day, which helps me create marketing materials and graphics. Google Analytics is a free tool that’s extremely helpful when it comes to numbers. It helps you and your team make data-based decisions on how to move forward best. We use Basecamp to collaborate with our team members, but any team collaboration tool is needed as you grow your team and your company.
How is running a tech company different than what you thought it would be?
Less than 1% of Black women founders receive VC funding. After hearing this statistic, it’s no wonder why individuals like me have difficulty raising money and being viewed as credible and legitimate founders.
While the tech industry has a long way to go as a whole in terms of diversity, individual companies like Tanoshi show what change looks like.
How can readers get in touch with you?
You can send me an email at marketing@tanoshiinc.com or you can connect with me on LinkedIn. Please visit us at TanoshiKidsComputers.com. Thank you!
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