Meet Allie, Jennie, and Steph—the inspiring moms and entrepreneurs behind Charmspring.
Charmspring was born from the shared vision of three moms—Allie, Jennie, and Steph—who wanted to bring more connection, ease, and joy into family life. With backgrounds in education, entrepreneurship, and product innovation, they joined forces to create tools that help families thrive in everyday routines. Their hero product, the Springboard, is already transforming how kids (and parents!) move through their days.
You have launched other very successful businesses. How did you meet and decide to partner together in this venture?
Allie: I met Steph through a mutual friend who said, “You have to be part of what she’s building.” Jennie and I had already worked together for years, so the three of us came together naturally. My career has always focused on supporting families, and after selling the toy company I started, I knew I wanted to keep building in that space. I am so excited about Charmspring because we’re creating products that make everyday life better for families, and that’s what I’ve always cared about most.
Jennie: Early in my parenting journey, I began sharing on Instagram both the joys and challenges of raising kids, along with practical ways parents can create more connection and fun at home. When I shared a DIY visual schedule I made for my kids on Instagram, parents loved it but admitted they didn’t have the time to keep up with evolving routines. When I learned Steph was creating a company to help parents unlock more connection and ease—with a beautiful visual schedule as the hero product—mutual friends insisted we meet. Once we did, and also realized we both knew Allie, it was clear all of our missions aligned and we wanted to build something meaningful together.
Steph: I have always loved creating products that bring ease, joy, and delight to customers’ lives—starting with Away and before that working as an early team member at Warby Parker and Casper—but I had never worked in the children’s space. I feel so lucky that different mutual friends introduced me to both Allie and Jennie, who are so deeply knowledgeable and talented in many areas, including years of experience in early childhood development and play.
What inspired you to start Charmspring, and how did the original idea start?
Allie, Jennie & Steph: We're moms to five kids 7 and under and were in search of a product to help them make sense of their day and understand their routine. We realized that when our kids knew what to expect, they experienced the joy of looking forward and anticipating, instead of feeling blindsided and resistant. When we couldn’t find anything, we created DIY versions out of construction paper, crayons, and photos. We soon realized other parents were in search of a similar product, and partnered to create Charmspring! We worked with developmental psychologists to help inform how best to create products that build lifelong skills and deepen family connection.
How would you describe Charmspring in a few sentences to someone who has never heard of it?
Allie: Charmspring is the company for better days as a family. We design tools that help kids feel capable, parents feel supported, and families feel more connected.
What is one piece of advice you would give to parents who are just starting to introduce routines or families that are readjusting to a more structured school schedule after summer?
Allie: My advice is to remember that a routine is meant to be a flexible framework, not a rigid prescription. Especially when you’re starting fresh or easing back into the school year, the goal isn’t perfection, it's to create a rhythm that helps your child know what to expect.
Jennie: Invite your kids into the process! When we include children in creating their routines, whether by letting them help choose the order of activities or using visuals they can interact with, it shifts routines from something that’s done to them into something they feel ownership of. Making it playful, like turning tasks into a game or using visuals, unlocks so much more cooperation and helps kids feel capable and empowered.
Steph: Children thrive on predictability, but routines don’t have to mean a strict clock. Even something as simple as having a consistent order to bathing, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, and reading a story can make those steps feel like “of course this is what we’re doing now” instead of a topic to debate.
How do each of you use your Springboards at home?
Allie: I use the large Springboard with my 3.5-year-old son to guide his morning, night, and daily routines. For us, it’s an amazing tool for connection. We sit down together every Sunday to plan the week. I’ll add the non-negotiables, like school, and he gets to make choices about his activities whenever possible. It sparks conversations about how he’s feeling about different parts of his routine, and it was especially helpful in processing the back-to-school transition.
Jennie: With a 5- and 7-year-old, we really value their growing need for independence. Each night, we lay out the tiles, and in the morning they move through much of their routine on their own, feeling proud and excited every step of the way. They love calling us over to show what they’ve accomplished! At the start of each week, we also build out their full schedule so they have a clear picture of what’s ahead.
Steph: My girls use their Springboards to move through their morning and bedtime routines pretty independently. They know what’s coming next, and they want to do it themselves! Works for me if I’m not giving a bunch of reminders that it’s time to get dressed :) If our family is really looking forward to something—like a visit from grandma or a birthday party—being able to visually count down the days together makes the anticipation and the sense of passage of time feel much more tangible for them.
How do you balance growing your business with maintaining a healthy work-life balance, especially as parents yourselves?
Allie: We’re all parents, and that shapes how we run this business. Our meetings often start with checking in on each other’s kids, and our calendars include school drop-off and pick-up right alongside work commitments. Building those rhythms into our days helps us find balance and keeps us grounded in why we started this business in the first place, which is to support families through the day to day.
Have your priorities or definition of “success” changed since becoming a mother?
Allie: To me, success now means feeling at peace with how I spend my (very limited!) time and knowing that my work is creating something valuable for other parents.
Jennie: Since becoming a mother, it’s about balance—supporting other parents through the same challenges I face while making sure I’m present with my own family. If I can help others and still feel connected and grounded at home, that feels like real success to me.
Steph: Success to me means making products that parents find bring fun and connection in a developmentally oriented way to their families’ lives while balancing where my time is spent in a way that allows me to bring fun and connection to my own family’s lives.
What tips do you have for parents who might be struggling with consistency in using or resetting their Springboards weekly? Any tips to keep the excitement going?
Allie: I’ve found that creating a ritual around setting up the Springboard each week is really helpful. Invite your child to help with the setup, let them make choices where they can, and—if it’s age appropriate—use the time to check in about how the past week went and how they’re feeling about the week ahead. Another tip is to help kids build the habit of using the Springboard as their go-to tool. For example, if your child asks, “When can I play?” instead of answering directly, guide them back to the board and say, “Let’s check your Springboard. When is playtime?”
Jennie: Start small and make it fun! Consistency doesn’t have to mean perfection, it’s about creating a rhythm that works for your family. Pick one or two key times of day to start with, like mornings or bedtime, and celebrate little wins together. To keep the excitement going, involve your kids in the reset process: let them choose the order of tiles, add a “special” activity for the week, or even turn it into a Sunday ritual with music or a favorite snack. When kids feel ownership and it feels playful, the board stays fresh and exciting for everyone.
Steph: This really depends on the children’s ages. For a baby or toddler, they will most likely just be excited that their parent is narrating for them the story of what is to come in their day or week. They might get excited to grab tiles, so for these ages we recommend putting the Springboard out of reach. For big kids, they are wired to want to have an important say in their day-to-day life and know what’s going on, and getting in the routine of re-setting it every week in a way that empowers them will lead to excitement and buy-in and grow their own confidence and independence.
What’s something unexpected that you’ve learned about yourselves since starting Charmspring?
Allie: I started my first business on my own as an educator, not a mom, and I’ve realized how different it feels to build as a parent. Some parts are harder (like managing school schedules and sick days!), some are easier, but overall it’s incredibly meaningful to share this experience with other moms.
Jennie: I’ve learned that even when I feel like I have it all figured out, parenting has a way of humbling me. Our kids are constantly growing and changing, which means our approach has to evolve too. It’s a reminder that we’re raising humans, not following a fixed playbook—and that’s both the challenge and the beauty of it.
What are some of your favorite pieces or toys for your kids on Danrie at the moment?
Allie: Dangerous question for me because I truly love everything on the site. As a toy person, I’m always drawn to that category. Some current favorites are the Konges Sløjd Window Art Kit, anything from Maileg, Oli & Carol as my go-to newborn gift, and the Magic Playbook x Danrie New York City Play Kit, which feels extra special since I recently moved from NYC and it brings me back through play.
Jennie: Hardest question ever! Danrie has such a thoughtful selection of play that it’s so hard to pick! I’d start with the Magic Playbook sets—we love engaging sets on the go for the car or restaurants, and our favorite is the Wild with Washi Tape set. We also love Floss & Rock activity books; one of our current ones on rotation is the Enchanted Transfer Fun!
Steph: My girls are OBSESSED with the Poppyland headbands. They wear one every day and love matching them to their outfits. Also, the Magic Playbook x Danrie New York City Play Kit has led to truly 100 hours of pretend play in our house
Where can our readers best find you?
On Instagram @charmspring, @allisonwklein, @jenniemonness, and @stephkorey.
Shop The Charmspring Founders’ Favorites
