Four Moms, One Lunch Table, and a Vision That Changed Everything
How Four Moms Built a Movement That Transformed Workplace Benefits for Families
Two years into my marriage, I had my first son—and that’s when I learned just how tough the working world was for moms. Back then, there were no laptops, no remote work, no nursing rooms, no on-site daycare, and definitely no parental leave. Daycare costs? Astronomical. So high that I couldn’t afford both childcare and my apartment. After a C-section, I took my six weeks of medical leave and went straight back to work. If I’d had a natural birth, I would’ve only gotten three weeks. Three weeks!
When I returned, I found three other women who felt the same way. Over lunch, we asked ourselves: What if we could make this better? That’s how Parents in Networking Group (PiNG) was born. Four moms, one table, and a big dream. Our first win was small but powerful—a nursing room. We converted the women’s locker room into a private space. It wasn’t fancy, but it was progress.
From there, we kept going. Over the next decade, PiNG grew from four women to over 100 employees. We launched an on-site preschool at reduced costs, started monthly fireside chats for new moms, and welcomed dads into the conversation. We were building a community—and a movement.
Four years later, after earning my bachelor’s degree, I had my daughter. That’s when PiNG decided to tackle the biggest challenge yet: paid parental leave. We didn’t just want time off—we wanted adoption assistance and infertility support too. Our first proposal? Rejected. Flat out. Timing was tough; the company had just rolled out major benefit upgrades. Asking for more felt like “giving a mouse a cookie.”
But here’s the thing: we didn’t give up. We regrouped, broke our proposal into smaller steps, and started with three weeks of paid leave. That was our foot in the door. Over time, three weeks became six. Post-COVID, it became eight. Watching those benefits grow filled me with pride.
What started as four moms around a lunch table became a movement that changed our workplace—and the lives of countless families. We didn’t accept the status quo. We challenged it. And that’s the message I want every woman to hear: you have the power to create change. Start small. Start today. Start with the people around you.
