(Blog) 3 Ways This Startup for Kids Got Off the Ground and Set Up for Success

Learn how the founder of a children's learning brand leaned on the reputation and resources of national business services provider, Office Depot, to unleash her business potential.

​By Entrepreneur Partner Studio Staff

Image credit: William Mackie | WMackieProductions

Sponsored by Office Depot, Inc.

Elinor Huang is on a mission to inspire kids’ lifelong love of self and knew she could not do it alone. After a career in healthcare, Elinor observed firsthand the growing diagnosable mental health problems in young kids. “More kids are having difficulties in tackling uncertainties as they journey through life,” Elinor says.

“Many times, play and learning are seen as separate, arch-rivals forever separated and locked in a battle for a child’s well-being,” she adds. “Our children are growing up in a world where performance is king. Over-stimulus is starting at a younger age, oftentimes with overwhelming performance-based expectations.”

As a mother of two, Elinor decided to do something about it and looked to her local community for support. She founded MEandMine, a STEAM-powered, story-based hands-on adventure that integrates human body and social/emotional development into everyday fun for kids.
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Starting a company is quite an adventure and an overwhelming task in itself, and equally as daunting, is finding the right balance of ideas, investment, infrastructure and support services to get started. To navigate the ins and outs and ups and downs associated with launching a business, Elinor decided to base MEandMine from the Office Depot® coworking facility in Los Gatos, Calif. Office Depot offers coworking spaces as part of its wide-array of business services in select markets around the U.S. where entrepreneurs can take advantage of all types of vital solutions to help pursue their passion and grow their businesses including printing and copying, shipping, tech support and repair and more.

Here, Elinor shares three ways Office Depot assisted in getting her startup off the ground and set up for success.

1. Leaning on a proven support system.Within the Office Depot coworking space, Elinor says she found everything she needed to start her business. “This inclusive and flexible coworking space has everything from private offices to conference rooms, making for the perfect environment to network and also meet with potential investors and customers,” she says. “It’s a beautiful, professional space.”

Elinor notes that Office Depot’s coworking spaces have everything from private offices to conference rooms, creating the perfect environment to network and meet with customers.

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