Recent graduate Jenny Armstrong didn’t expect to work full-time at a children’s learning startup after completing a master’s degree in biomedical science.
After an impromptu chat turned interview with Tiggly co-founder Bart Clareman (who’s also her cousin), she landed an operations associate position, where she’s taken on all types of responsibilities that range from product development to event planning.
With an affinity for toys and “anything she can throw or kick”, she’s truly a child at heart. So it’s quite fitting that she’s a part of the team of this New York-based company that’s developing interactive toys and apps for toddlers.
Although she juggles multiple tasks on a daily basis, which is typical in any startup environment, she loves every moment of it. This Fulton Center member tells us why she loves being involved in a growing business, the best advice she ever received, and how she recovered from an April Fool’s joke.
Read ahead to find out what she shared for this Member Spotlight feature:
I actually come from a medical background. Before Tiggly, I worked for an orthodontist and a maxillofacial surgeon, who decided to start a multi-disciplinary medical center. I did their web development, graphic design, social media, and worked with patients. Afterwards, I took a year to complete a master’s degree in biomedical science. When I found out that my cousin was starting his own company, I told him that I was eager to help him while I completed my Master’s research. He told me to come by the office, sat me down, and interviewed me. I really didn’t expect him to offer me a full-time position.
We launched our first product last October, which is Tiggly Shapes. We created four geometric shapes that interact with three fun learning apps that focus on a different aspect of early childhood education. We know that kids are using the iPad, and we know that the educational sector is really growing so it made sense to launch something that looks like a more traditional learning toy. It helps parents and educators distinguish it from other educational apps, and they feel good about handing over the iPad.
Do you know what a squircle is? Don’t worry; it’s not a dirty word. It’s actually a square-circle. On April Fool’s Day, we decided to shut down our website and replace the homepage text with:
“As a learning company, we found out that our beloved square was in fact a squircle. We cut too many corners, so we’re trying to straighten things out.”
We were trying to close our Series A, and we just came back from the industry toy fair with a lot of new customers placing orders. Customers were like, “What the f—? You guys are out of business?” We really had to do a lot of explaining on our end that it was a joke.
If you ever come by the Tiggly office, I have Play-Doh on my desk. It’s pretty funny because people are always surprised to see it. WeWork Labs members may know as “the team with the Play-Doh”. I minored in studio art, so I like toys that you can mold with your hands.
The best advice I ever received came from my dad. He always told me that all good things come from hard work, and he’s the model citizen of that. It’s something that I always put into practice.
I got into the startup business because I know that one day I’d like to be a business owner. Actually, I’m planning on going to the Columbia College of Dental Medicine in August. All of my mentors have taught me to always look one step ahead in my career. Being a practicing dentist is not the end of the road for me. I want to combine research, business, and tech. I’m constantly learning and trying new things, so I don’t see going to dental school and leaving the startup world behind as a straight path trajectory.
Photographs by Lauren Kallen