Business Blog: Hoover’s Business Insight Zone

My heavy-duty Twitter use has introduced me not only to folks far away, but also to members of the social media community right here in Austin. One new friend is Aruni Gunasegaram, the president and founder of Babble Soft. After we got to talk in person at SXSW, Aruni was kind enough to answer some of my questions about being an entrepreneur — and mom — who works at the intersection of technology and parenthood.

Aruni caught the business bug early — she had a paper route when she was 13. As an adult, she founded Isochron, for which she raised more than $15 million in equity financing. After she had kids of her own, her concern about baby sleep patterns, breastfeeding support, and other issues facing new parents led her to found Babble Soft. (As icing on the cake, she has also taught classes in entrepreneurship at my beloved alma mater.)

Here’s my interview with Aruni:

BIZ: In a nutshell, what is Babble Soft’s business?

Aruni Gunasegaram: Babble Soft creates web & mobile applications that help new parents communicate about childcare activities. Parents, their sitter, their nanny, or their family members can record and view daily activities to make sure the baby is getting what he or she needs.

BIZ: How did your business background lead you to start Babble Soft?

AG: My background helped me realize that there is an opportunity in this area to help people during the time they come home with a baby by providing them with valuable tools.

BIZ: Do you think that women entrepreneurs have a much different experience than men entrepreneurs?

AG: Yes, I believe women entrepreneurs do have a different experience than men mainly because there are fewer women high-tech entrepreneurs than there are men. Women have always been entrepreneurs on a smaller scale from restaurant to store management, but in high-tech it has typically been men on the playing field because the stakes are generally higher. By stakes being higher I mean financial, reputation, and time risk.

BIZ: How do you see Web and mobile technologies changing the ways that families operate?

AG: I see these technologies changing things by facilitating communication, connecting with other parents, providing instant information about problems they are facing, and finding things from house support to the best baby toy.

BIZ: What are your hopes for Babble Soft in years to come?

AG: My hope for Babble Soft is that we become a central part of parenthood by connecting new parents with other new parents in the different stages of a parenting career. We want to be the #1 online social community supported by relevant applications.

Thanks to Aruni for sharing these insights. Your own comments and questions are welcome here, or you can check out Babble Soft or Aruni’s EntrepreMusings blog to find out more.