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Ups and Downs of Starting a Start-up

Back in 2015, Colleen Wong was enjoying a day trip to a farm with her two young children when another mum lost sight of her 5-year-old son. Of course, complete panic ensued for a few awful moments, but thankfully, he was quickly found, and calm was restored.

With two small children of her own, Colleen could easily relate, so the incident got her thinking about this all-too-frequent problem. Her solution, the My Gator Watch, is a very simple wearable device that combines mobile phone and tracking functionality. It gives children that are too young for a smartphone a sense of independence, whilst giving their parents some peace of mind.

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Four years later, My Gator Watch is the UK's top-rated children's wearable mobile phone on Amazon. Not only that but a growing number of elderly and vulnerable people are seeing the benefits of its simplicity, making it easy for them to call someone if they need help whilst enabling them to retain their independence.

Engrained Ethics

As a mother herself, Colleen is all about workplace flexibility. The 13 mums and dads that are now part of her team all enjoy 100% flexible working.  

Prior to Colleen’s hardware lightbulb moment, she worked as a VP at a large investment bank and worked as a senior immigration officer with the Canadian consulate in Hong Kong before that.

Colleen now lives in London with her partner and children who are aged 4 and 5. Colleen says that: “The juggling act of caring for two children so close in age and heading up a successful tech start-up is finally – touch wood! - getting easier.”

In a series of articles and interviews, DesignSpark will be sharing Colleen’s hardware start-up story, along with full disclosure on the trials and tribulations.

DesignSpark Community Manager and all-around geek girl.
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