WHO WE ARE
ROO & YOU IS A WOMAN-FOUNDED, FAMILY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS MADE AWESOME BY PARENTS LIKE YOU
Being a parent really changes your life, because, well, you get to be a kid again! Sometimes that comes at the expense of our adult sensibilities, grown-up relationships, and hard-earned dollars. As parents, we know what that can feel like. Not everything needs to be dinosaurs 🦕 and spaceships🚀!
Founded in 2017 as Chew Chew Baby Roo, Roo & You is a community-driven business dedicated to creating fun, design-forward products that are a lot less about being expensive and a lot more about having fun.
"But who are you?!" 🕵️
First, our story!
Two boys, one staircase, and a pile of cushions
Helen’s story is one a lot of moms can relate to: When her mat leave ended after having her first child (Kai Kai!), she found it hard to be apart from him but still wanted to do something that was just for her. Kai had just started teething around this time and she had a hard time finding modern, minimalist teething accessories, something to match her style while being safe, baby-friendly and affordable, too. Enter Chew Chew Baby Roo: affordable silicone products that provide modern accessories for the whole family! Soo enough, Helen was wrangling two boys and hand-making silicone products while they slept, with a sweet “office” setup under the stairs, Harry Potter style.
Fast forward to Fall 2020, Kai and Finn were getting into making forts using the couch cushions, Helen realizing the boys need their own couch to build with! And that's when the Joey was born!
Since then, Roo & You has evolved its product line while teaming up with Matt (her husband) and her baby brother, Rozin, to design and create products that aren't only functional but also modern and chic that you’ll be excited to have your family use. Who says you can't have both style and function?
Mom, Founder, Designer, CEO
Hey!! I’m Helen Smith, a mama to three littles, a wife, a big sister to two little brothers, an entrepreneur and founder. As a long-time stay-at-home mom, I never would have imagined creating something that has brought so much joy to so many littles and their families. It has been an amazing (and tiring, with 3 kiddos running around) experience but the smiling faces and excitement from our Roopers make it all worth it!
Thank you for supporting us and helping us build such a fun and amazing community.
OUR TEAM
At Roo & You, family and community (that’s you!) come first, which is why our team and their families are super important to us.
Helen Smith
Founder & Designer, CEO
Helen is Roo & You’s creative genius and leads all of our innovation, design, and product development. She was an educator for most of her career but left when she had Kai. Although she loved being a mama, she felt the need for a creative outlet, something just for her while being a SAHM - enter Roo & You. Helen has loved seeing her vision for Roo & You come to life. Born with mama bear instincts, Helen is fiercely protective of her family, team, and roopers.
Rozin Abbas
Marketing & Revenue, CRO
Rozin directs all things marketing, money, and business. He also made a sacred vow to never grow older than 12 years old, so he’s still a kid at heart.
Matt Smith
Operations, COO
Matt is a seasoned operations vet who likes to move big heavy things. When not engaged in multimodal movements of product, Matt’s childish approach to life makes him Roo & You’s Master Play Couch Builder, sometimes known as a Foam Architect.
Ian Robbins
Project Executive
Ian comes from an ecommerce and digital marketing background with experience working in large CPG companies. He does his best to keep the Roo & You train on the tracks.
Kiana Sheldon
Graphic Designer
Little blurb: Kiana is a graphic designer. She is not sure what to put here. You can delete this. Uhmmmm… She really likes Helen and the team :)
Joey
Resident Mascot
Joey comes from the great land of Tasmania, where they like to hop around, do some boxing, and eat grass all day!