Founder Friday: Emma Harris and Melissa Tran, Co-Founders of EarlyDay
Issue #6
Founder Friday is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund highlighting companies in our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.
In our sixth edition, we are featuring Emma Harris and Melissa Tran, Co-Founders of EarlyDay, the only dedicated career marketplace for early childhood educators.
EarlyDay (fka as Kiddo) brings employers and jobseekers together—making the hiring and job search process faster and easier in the world of childhood education. As a marketplace, EarlyDay allows preschools and childcare centers to post their job openings while also enabling thousands of qualified, pre-screened educators to find their dream role.
Emma and Melissa previously worked together as part of the founding team at GuavaPass, helping grow the concept across Asia before being acquired by ClassPass. Combining their passion for increasing women roles in the workforce with the need to address the childcare crisis in our country, is at the heart of their mission.
We caught up with Emma and Melissa to learn a bit more about their motivation for starting EarlyDay and where they each find the most comfort in tasty meals.
Describe your company in 6 words or less.
Emma: Talent marketplace for early childhood education.
Melissa: EarlyDay empowers early childhood educators
What was your primary motivation for starting your business?
Emma: I was six months pregnant and Covid was in full swing. Melissa and I knew we wanted to build another marketplace together and were pretty horrified watching the daily news reports of women dropping out of the workforce due to childcare issues brought on by the pandemic. We started doing our research to see what we could build that would support this issue. We spoke to over 100 childcare providers and uncovered that hiring is one of the biggest unsolved operational pain points in early childhood education. We set out to fix that.
Melissa: Ever since our early GuavaPass days, Emma and I had talked about doing something of our own together one day. We knew we wanted to build a mission-driven company and grow a passionate, like-minded team. I love the freedom and flexibility that comes with being an entrepreneur as well as the motivation that comes from building a product that directly and positively impacts the lives of our users.
What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?
Emma: You’ll have lots of high days and lots of low days. Try your best, even when you’re drowning, to enjoy the journey and celebrate small wins along the way.
Melissa: Don’t do it alone! Find yourself a co-founder and/or founding team and advisors who you can trust 100%.
What do you love to do in your free time?
Emma: I have a toddler…what is free time?
Melissa: Cook! I love trying to recreate Vietnamese dishes at home.
What is the most interesting place you’ve visited recently and why?
Emma: The bodega in my neighborhood. I live in Miami and our local bodega is the most perfect representation of the multi cultural city that Miami is. The market is basically half-Cuban/half-Kosher and their empanadas are incredible.
Melissa: The Ancient Plant Garden at the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Golden Gate Park. It feels like you’ve stumbled onto the set of Jurassic Park! I live a couple blocks from Golden Gate Park and I always discover something new when walking, biking, or roller-skating through it.
What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?
Emma: For work, it’s Calendly. I can’t believe I used to go back and forth on email to schedule meetings. For personal, it’s ClassPass. I love to workout and have options for where I go.
Melissa: Can I do a combined answer? I would say my Fitbit and app subscription for sleep tracking. After reading ‘Why We Sleep’ by Matthew Walker a couple of years ago, I really try to prioritize getting a solid 8 hours a night. Sleep - it’s so underrated!
What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?
Emma: Dedication.
Melissa: The ability to tune out the noise and believe in yourself.
SuperAngel.Fund is an early stage fund that invests in Consumer, PropTech & Future of Work. The fund is led by Ben Zises who was the first investor and founding advisor to quip, Caraway & Arber. You can learn more and apply at SuperAngel.Fund.
