Shazi Visram built a business on resilience and support

Serial entrepreneur Shaji Visram started Healthy Baby after his son was diagnosed with autism. The company offers a wide range of safe, non-toxic products for infants and young children, filling a gap in the market that Visram identified after facing challenges caring for his son.

Bisram is revolutionizing the diaper industry with plant-based products and setting a new standard for safety by becoming the first diaper brand to be verified by the Environmental Working Group. With its expansion into Target stores and innovative additions to its product line, HealthyBaby is gaining attention from celebrity endorsers and investors.

Despite facing physical and mental obstacles, Visram's resilience and support network continue to drive her “do it hard” spirit both in her personal life and in her entrepreneurial success. It has become.

HealthyBaby: Born out of necessity

As an organic baby food entrepreneur, Visram built Happy Family Organics (formerly Happy Baby) into a leading brand, which he sold to Groupe Danone in 2013. She then led the company through four years of remarkable growth as her CEO, and she stepped down in 2017 to focus. About family.

Visram's two-year-old son was diagnosed with autism in 2012. Everything became a challenge for Zane. Neurologists didn't give Bisram and her husband much hope. So she began her research and found doctors and organizations that gave her hope.

In 2018, Visram began conceptualizing and developing HealthyBaby, motivated by her personal experience. The company soft-launched in 2020 and officially launched in 2021, focusing on critical developmental periods (from preconception to preschool) to help shape a healthier future for America's children. We offer products that meet the needs of customers.

happy family organic We provide organic, nutritious food options that nourish your baby from the inside out and support your baby's healthy development. HealthyBaby offers clean, non-toxic products including diapers, wipes, skin care and household cleaning products to protect babies and toddlers from head to toe.

“It took Zane three years to learn how to use his mouth muscles to blow out candles,” Bisram said. “Now you have a blueprint for making your baby's first toothbrush.'' You can actively incorporate exercise into your life.”

HealthyBaby started as a direct-to-consumer company and expanded to Target stores nationwide in 2023. Healthy Baby sets a new standard in the industry by becoming the first diaper brand to be verified by his EWG, a nonprofit organization that evaluates the safety of consumer products.

“I started researching the healthiest diapers because diapers are the first thing a baby touches, and babies wear diapers 24/7,” said the Academy Award-winning actress. says Hilary Swank, mother of twins and chief innovation officer at Healthy Baby. , HealthyBaby not only has her EWG certified safety, but is completely transparent about all of its ingredients. So she called Shazi because she needed to know more. We are now very proud to be working with this brand. ”

As a second-time founder, Shazi is reluctant. “I started this business because I saw a way to improve people's lives with something better,” she said. “If I didn't have this personal pain and be aware of how others go through it and need the resources and knowledge that I found, I wouldn't have done it.” I wouldn't have.”

Sarah Blakely, an investor in Healthy Baby and founder of Spanx, said: “Shaji is a champion of healthier, greener products, especially for children. “At times, you don't even need to read the ingredients.”

The company is moving towards removing plastic from its diapers to make them completely sustainable.

'I'm doing something difficult' Shaji Visram accepts the challenge “Parents of autistic children have a very difficult time,” Visram sighs. “Over the last few years, I haven't been very keen on being public.'' Witnessing Zane's adolescent changes was emotionally difficult. Hormonal fluctuations can manifest as behavioral changes such as aggression or unexpected tearfulness. It's a roller coaster of emotions and not necessarily an easy topic for casual conversation. “It breaks my heart to see him suffer,” Bisram said.

“My personal challenge is to find a way to own and be proud of my child's diagnosis,” Bisram said. Her goal is to have open and honest conversations and acknowledge both the positive and negative aspects without judgment. What is very important is respect.

HealthyBaby is not an autism brand. This is an advanced baby brand born out of necessity.

Visram wants to share his experiences openly and empathetically to show that it's okay to experience life's challenges and sorrows at home and still be an effective leader. thinking about. Her life is difficult, but it inspires her ability to build something like her HealthyBaby. “Then you will win,” she said.

When asked what she does, Visram sometimes says she's an entrepreneur and a mother, and other times she simply says she's “doing a lot of work.”

Resilience is part of her DNA, but she's also built an incredible support network, including her husband. “He's basically my life coach,” she said. She had spinal fusion surgery, and during her physical therapy, he would play Rocky music for inspiration. “It's nice to have someone around me who cares about me, who loves me, who wants me to succeed and who knows how to keep me going,” Bisram said.

Under normal circumstances, Bisram would never have considered spinal surgery, but the disc collapsed. Her experience taught her to put her health first, which inspired the company's new tagline, “HealthyBaby, Health First.”

While recovering from surgery, Bisram also realized what a great support system he had. HealthyBaby's team went the extra mile to help her take care of herself. Although COVID-19 made it difficult to start the company and build the team, the company's mission brought the team together and she knew she could trust them.

Now, we're all back in the office, working four days a week at Nest, our hub of innovation and play area for your baby's development. “There's something really great about a merger, not just the physical ability to be together and work on something, but the ability to interact with customers every day,” Bisram said. People who work remotely often fly to holiday parties, and it's so nice to have everyone together.

How can we turn challenges into opportunities?