Lisa Love is the CMO and Co-Founder of Tanoshi, where the mission is to prepare all kids for a digital future, no matter their socio-economic background. She oversees the planning, development, and execution of the marketing strategy for Tanoshi.
Lisa received her MBA from an HBCU, Clark Atlanta University, and began her career over 20 years ago working for Fortune 500 CPG companies, including Heinz and Del Monte in brand and product marketing. She managed a portfolio of brands that generated revenue of up to $75M. She also spent 11 years working for the #1 online retailer of wine where she wore many hats and worked in various departments throughout her tenure including operations, merchandising, and partnerships
FWM: Did your passion to help others start when you were younger?
Yes. In fact, it was the Columbine High School killing in 1999 that opened my eyes to the troubled state of kids in this country. The high school shooting had such an emotional impact on me and I felt the need to take action. I started working with my mom, a retired teacher, to develop self-esteem materials for younger kids. Fast forward to today and I’m now helping kids in underserved and under-represented communities develop the skills needed for future success.
FWM: You spent 20 years in CPG brand and retail marketing. What led you to start Tanoshi?
I always knew I wanted to own my own business. In the late 1990s, when I was in grad school and going through the interview process of landing my first corporate job, I thought to myself, I’m going to give corporate America 10 years of my life. I’ll learn the skills needed to build my own empire and then move on. Well, 10 years turned into 15 and before I knew it, 20 years had passed.
By 2015, it was time to take that leap of faith and start my company. If I didn’t do it then I felt it would be too late. Fortunately, certain things fell into place including meeting Brad Johnston, the CEO, and Co-Founder of Tanoshi. We met at a pitch contest and hit it off right away…and the rest is history.
FWM: How is Tanoshi helping to bridge the digital divide gap?
We believe every child should have access to basic educational tools such as a computer. Our mission is to prepare all kids for a digital future, no matter their socio-economic background.
Tanoshi computers are designed and built specifically for kids between the ages of 6-12. Our computers are a 2-in-1 with a detachable keyboard. Kids can use their Tanoshi as a computer or a tablet. Parents love the free pre-loaded parental controls where they can manage and monitor the Tanoshi from their smartphone.
With pre-loaded content such as Google Docs & Sheets and kids coding apps, Tanoshi computers are a child’s first real computer, that’s safe, educational, and affordable.
Tanoshi computers can be purchased on Amazon, Walmart.com, Adorama.com, Adorama in NYC, and TanoshiKidsComputers.com.
FWM: “One of your goals is to inspire more girls in the tech space.” Explain.
When we started the company, we specifically aimed to target girls with the Tanoshi because of the gender gap within the STEM space. We know that engineering and computer science are fields that are very lucrative. However, only 21% of engineering majors and 19% of computer science majors are women. The gender gap in STEM stems (no pun) from gender stereotypes and underestimating girls’ abilities in subjects such as math. It is our goal to expose girls to computer science and coding at an early age, preparing them for these high in-demand fields.
FWM: Tell us about your Medium.com article about the tech world as a Black Woman.
Not only is there a gender gap within tech but there’s also a disappointing race gap. The percentage of Blacks at major tech companies such as Facebook, Google, etc. is MAYBE 4%, which I believe is shameful.
Racism existed 400 years ago and sadly, it still exists in various forms of our everyday lives. I wrote the Medium article, “Understanding the Plight of a Black Woman Founder,” to help educate the public on the root of systemic racism, because “… you must understand the problem, which starts with a history lesson. And even though you will never walk in my shoes, I ask that you walk alongside me and be a witness to the plight of a Black woman founder.“ We are hurting and the article ultimately explains the action that must happen now.
FWM: What mistakes have you made along the way that turned out to be blessings?
Prior to Tanoshi, I spent way too much time working at a company that did not value me. I was there 11 years and at the end of my stint, I was miserable and going through a tough time with management. I should’ve never worked there as long as I did, but in hindsight, I do believe I was there for a reason – timing was everything. I don’t believe I would have become so aware of the diversity issues in tech without enduring and persevering through the hardships myself.
I wrote an article, “They Don’t Appreciate You Here” that tells my story.
FWM: Share your advice for young people who want to go into tech.
- Start networking now. Build those relationships because you’ll need them later down the line, especially once you’re seeking a job.
- If you’re transitioning into tech, take some entry-level courses on the side. Make sure this is the field you want to pursue.
- Schedule in some daily “me time”. Whether it’s meditating, working out, or just going outside and taking a walk – you need a good 30 minutes every day to escape from everything.
FWM: What is next for Tanoshi?
Our focus is still to make sure all kids have a fair chance to succeed, especially those in underrepresented communities. This year we plan to pre-load more educational, age-appropriate, and fun content onto the computer, including NBA Math Hoops. We’ve also expanded our sales team and later this year, you will be able to find Tanoshi computers in a number of brick and mortar stores across the country.
