Clutter. It’s the nemesis of every parent, especially for parents of babies and toddlers. Clothing, toys, strollers, and children’s furniture have a tendency to quickly add up financially in addition to physically taking over rooms and closets. Germantown Academy alumna Kimberly Bruce Davis '06 (center in the above picture) is quite familiar with these issues, which led her to launch LACH, a digital marketplace that connects moms from all over the country

“We had quite a few items that were great quality and in perfect condition—sometimes with tags,” said Davis. “I wondered if I could sell these items to make money for future purchases. I did some research, and couldn't find any platforms geared towards parents so I decided to create my own.”

Davis, who is based just north of Baltimore, launched LACH in December of 2018 and has already received media attention from ABC, CBS, and Technically Baltimore.

“I call LACH ‘A Mother’s Best Friend’ because it is more than just a marketplace,” said Davis. “It is place to shop and a safe online platform to talk about mom life and all things parenthood.”

Davis is LACH’s only official employee at the moment, but she notes that she is receiving a lot of support behind the scenes.

“I have amazing family and friends with phenomenal talents that range from sales and marketing to accounting and everything in between,” said Davis. “They strengthen my weaknesses.”

Taking an idea from concept to the marketplace is an incredibly difficult feat, but Davis is most proud that she could face her fear of failure.

“I had a serious stroke when my daughter was born and after going through such an ordeal I promised myself that I would never allow life to pass me by,” said Davis. “If I wanted to accomplish something, fear would not be a deciding factor. I have always been a perfectionist and fear of failure was very real for me. I was scared to start LACH but today, that fear is gone.”

So what’s next for Davis’ start-up company?

“Exciting things lie ahead for LACH!” said Davis. “I am currently in the process of developing a specialist program. The launch date will be set for the end of June. There are parents who would like to make money from preloved items, but can’t due to time restraints. The specialist program alleviates this pain point by allowing them to work with a someone who will list and ship on their behalf. I also know as a former stay-at-home mom that we parents sometimes want to earn extra cash, but do not have the option because of availability. The program allows parents to make money on their own time! I am really excited about this. Stay tuned.”

After graduating from GA, Davis went onto Johns Hopkins University where she majored in Spanish and minored in Latin American studies. She also has a strong background in Electrical Engineering and spent over two years  in the major at Johns Hopkins.

“Then, I taught the elementary level for a few years before getting married and taking time off to start a family,” said Davis. “After a difficult recovery post-stroke, I was ready to head in a different direction. With the exception of one class in macroeconomics, I have no experience in business, but that wasn’t a deterrent. I have always been a hands-on learner—shout out to those high school science fairs! It has been difficult at times, but that’s entrepreneurship and my strong network has helped with road bumps along the way.”

Davis noted that she learned to be resilient as a student at GA.

“I learned this through life lessons, inside and outside of GA. Through school and extracurricular activities,” said Davis, who began her GA journey in fourth grade. “Ms. Krouse was always a huge supporter and always pushed me to be bigger and better. She’s amazing.”