Lara Vu is the founder of Mila’s Keeper, a California benefit company that aims to “help moms thrive during their breastfeeding journey with modern breastfeeding accessories.” The brand’s flagship products include the MilKeeper, an insulated breast milk cooler, and plastic-free glass storage bottles. Learn about Lara Vu…
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
First job: A flower shop when I was 16; Ernst & Young Healthcare Consulting when I got out of graduate school
Favorite ways to spend your free time in CA: Snowboarding at Mammoth, camping at Joshua Tree, happy hour at dusk near the beach
Your biggest accomplishment and why: Launching private sector partnerships for UNICEF Vietnam through the activism of local supporters. We not only raised nearly a million dollars for children from local citizens, we also raised awareness of the plight of children in Vietnam among millions of people across the country. Launching Mila’s Keeper is also on this list–it has been an incredible life-learning process testing my perseverance on a new level.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: Becoming a mom of two children while juggling an intensive workload and travel.
Someone who inspires you and why: Allyson Felix inspires me tremendously for her perseverance as an athlete and overcoming the setback of losing her sponsorship from Nike due to her becoming a mom. After becoming the most decorated female Olympic athlete, she showed the world what moms are capable of and how wrong our systems for not supporting them enough.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Believe in yourself and envision success. And don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t.
Favorite quote: “When moms thrive, their babies will too!”
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: Growing up, I wanted to become an Olympic gymnast!
What makes someone fabulous: I think being fabulous is someone who is confident and lifts others. People who lift others have the ability to make an impact in both small and magnificent ways.