Boston Women Pivot New Business To Help Female Healthcare Workers In Pandemic
BOSTON (CBS) - The inspiration for Robina Verbeek and Susanna Twarog's business came from an ill-fated bathroom run.
"The moment Susanna came to my desk looking for a quarter, almost in tears about the current state of affairs for women in the workplace, was the moment that we both looked at each other and had this vision," Verbeek said.
Twarog turned to her colleague after she could not find a tampon. That is when the Boston women decided to whiteboard a new model for women in the workplace.
They spent three years working on a trading floor by day and building their business by night. What they created was a sleek, cashless dispenser with women's products called SOS.
"Not just delivering feminine care products, tampons, pads, and liners but extending our product suite to include products like dry shampoo and hair ties, face wipes, and deodorant," Twarog said.
The very first SOS machine was installed in Boston's Seaport in January. Just as SOS was getting off the ground, the pandemic brought machine installation to a screeching halt.
Instead of pausing, the women decided to pivot.
They reached out to vendors and started a campaign called Give SOS, providing bundles of their products to female frontline healthcare workers at Beth Israel, Spaulding, and other hospitals.
"It literally brought us to tears, some of the reach out that we've gotten from the healthcare community," Twarog said.
Both women believe there is a future for SOS, even in a new normal. They say the use of their app makes the machines completely touchless.
"When you're interacting with the machine you don't need to touch it all. We've also sourced new brand partners that are supplying face masks and hand sanitizer," Verbeek said.