Trust Is The Best Currency: CEO, Founder Stamps Approval on Products for Parents

Sharon Vinderine, founder and CEO of Parent tested Parent Approved, at a recent keynote.

 Sharon Vinderine has a big mission for her company and her life, and it is founded on trust.

As the founder and CEO of Parent Tested Parent Approved, an awards-based platform with 200,000 community members in the U.S.  and across the globe, Vinderine has a long history of intention and entrepreneurship, but one first met with skepticism.

“As the founder and CEO of @PTPA, an awards-based platform with 200,000 community members in the U.S.  and across the globe, @PTPASharon has a long history of intention and #entrepreneurship. #shopsmarter”

In her early years of entrepreneurship after graduating from York University in 1994 with a double degree in mass communications and political science, Vinderine, who stands just under 5 feet tall, says she endured not only gender bias, but height bias when connecting with funders and clients in person.

“As soon as we met, they would say, ‘Oh my, I didn’t realize you were so little. And that shifted the power dynamics, and they talked to me like I was their daughter,” says Vinderine, whose PTPA company works with multinational household brands such as Dyson, Vtech, P&G, Duracell, Leapfrog, Hello Bello, and Walgreens to develop, market, and create products.

“It was challenging to get people to take me seriously,” she says. But yes, indeed they did.

The daughter of two entrepreneurial parents—her father just completed building an airport hangar in Toronto and her mother ran clothing stores in Montreal and Toronto—she knew early on she wanted to be an entrepreneur and also intended to work with charitable organizations. Her brother is also an entrepreneur.

At first after graduation working for her father in the 90s, she became proficient in the early Internet, and went to Israel to find the technology to bring back with her to Canada. She then became co-founder and president of the first wireless Internet company in Canada, MIPPS Net Online in 1996.

“In her early years of entrepreneurship after graduating from York University in 1994 with a double degree in mass communication and political science, @PTASharon, who stands just under 5 feet tall, says she endured not only #genderbias, but #heightbias when connecting with funders and clients in person.”

Ranked as one of "Canada's Hottest Startups" by Profit Magazine, MIPPS Net Online was sold to Primus Canada Telecommunications (PCT), and Vinderine transitioned to PCT as Director of Business Development in charge of growing their new wireless division.

After she and her husband celebrated the birth of their daughter in 2004, Vinderine created a product, Small Made Simple, in 2006 and worked to market it. “It was a kangaroo pouch-like towel,” she explains, and while working to promote it, she found that many moms like herself were struggling to find products to trust that were reliable and offered needed parenting solutions.

The recipient of the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award in the Micro-Business category, the Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Women of Inspiration Award, in 2007 Vinderine founded PTPA with the idea that parents “need a resource where they could tell at a glance that a product was tested and endorsed,” she says. This would be a uniform and reliable way to zero in on products for families, one that was simpler than calling all her friends and asking for advice.

Not simply a consumer “vote” on products, PTPA community testers are given the products and must offer lengthy feedback and scores on the products in lengthy surveys in order to achieve a seal of approval on the product—or not. The process is paid for by the brands, but the consumers are not paid as testers, so there is no editorial bias.

“In 2007, @PPTASharon founded @PTPA with the idea that parents “need a resource where they could tell at a glance that a product was tested and endorsed,” she says. #familyproducts #femaleleader”

“Now I can talk about this product with true credibility,” she says. “That relatability helped me grow to hundreds of thousands of parents in this community.” The PTPA seal is one of the top three most recognized seals of approval in commerce today.

Consumer trust in brands and products at a time when trust in media and government is also challenged is what businesses need to address and adjust, she says.

“Consumer trust in brands and products at a time when #trust in media and government is also challenged is what businesses need to address and adjust. #productreviews”

 “Brand authenticity has taken center stage when it comes to what consumers value. If a brand fails to be truly ‘authentic’ in what it stands for and what it's willing to hang its hat on, it runs the risk of losing once-loyal customers or alienating new ones. People are becoming increasingly aware of businesses and leaders that are only in it for themselves versus those that are there to serve others,” April White writes in Newsweek.

 The cost of goods parents are buying for their children is high, and those costs include products that are required and need to be trusted.

“The cost of goods parents are buying for their children is high, and those costs include products that are required and need to be trusted. #shoppers #ptpacommunity”

 According to U.S. News & World Report, U.S. Department of Agriculture calculates the average cost of raising a child to adulthood, not including college expenses. That report hasn't been undated since 2017, but at that time, it found the cost of raising a child born in 2015 was $233,610. That assumes the child was born to a middle-income, married couple. When adjusted for inflation, the number jumps to $290,014 in 2022 dollars, based on the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

With the cost of childcare, healthcare and now inflation affecting the cost of food and everything else, making sure products are worth their price is urgent.

For mothers, the researchers are other mothers, and can provide necessary feedback that is useful. “Most of our competitors are men,” Vinderine says. “But here it is not men talking about breast pumps.”

“For mothers, the researchers at @PTPA are other mothers, and can provide necessary feedback that is useful. “Most of our competitors are men,” @PTPASharon says. “But here it is not men talking about breast pumps.” #momcommunity”

With a team of six based in Toronto, Vinderine says COVID rearranged the lives not only of staff but of consumers, and particularly families with children.

“Consumers need to trust companies and they need an easy way to find what is trustworthy,” says the mother of two, now 18 and 17.

In the age of TikTok branding and social media influencers paid by brands to market products, Vinderine says her endeavor is the antithesis to misinformation and fakery.

Computer Weekly reports, “We surveyed 2,000 US and UK consumers and found that the influence of fraud documentaries or dramatisations has made six out of 10 consumers more cautious about trusting others online - perhaps with good reason.” 

“My number one mission is to simplify shopping as a parent and take the distrust out of the whole experience. I strongly believe trust is the most valuable currency in culture today.” She adds, “I hope the tide turns from paid influencers back to moms you can trust.”

““My number one mission is to simplify #shopping as a parent and take the distrust out of the whole experience,” says @PTPASharon. She adds, “I strongly believe trust is the most valuable currency in culture today.” #parentcommunity ”

Working with major legacy brands as well as entrepreneurs with innovative startups, Vinderine says she mentors many who are just starting their businesses and she has time-tested advice.

With her parents’ advice growing up, Vinderine says, ‘I had bred into me that whatever I did, I was to find a way to positively impact the lives of others and leave their lives better than before they found me. I hope to pay it forward.”

Take The Lead Leadership Tip of The Week:

“Whatever business you launch, make sure you are incredibly passionate about it because it is a heck of a rollercoaster ride and not always a fun one. You have to love what you do.” —Sharon Vinderine, founder and CEO of Parent Tested Parent Approved.