ENTREPRENEUR feature: Sandy Bastien of BabaLID®

INVENTOR AND MOTHER OF FIVE, BECOMES CAPITOL HILL’S LATEST LITERACY ADVOCATE

Sandy Bastien, a longtime member of Women’s Enterprise Action Leadership Fund (WEALF), brought her inventions to Capitol Hill in March for the first Congressional Inventions Project (CIP) Innovation Showcase. CIP is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to educating lawmakers, their staff, and the public on issues related to invention, creators, and intellectual property. During the event, Sandy met with representatives, including U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Adam Schiff, to discuss the literacy initiative she recently founded, Reading is Eating®.

Books have always been a significant part of Sandy’s life, not just as pages to read, but as conversations with others and connections to mentors. Sandy wanted to share the importance of establishing early reading habits with her children and with children everywhere. She became a children's book author and subsequently founded the literacy initiative Reading is Eating®.

“When I was offered the chance to teach a reading class as a volunteer parent, I hesitated. Reading was never my favorite subject growing up,” Sandy said. “Upon accepting the challenge, I reflected on how my relationship with reading had changed as an adult. I’d grown to appreciate it because I was finally reading things that helped me grow intellectually and spiritually. That reflection led to the creation of Reading is Eating®.

“Just as kids enjoy foods that excite their taste buds, they also need books that spark their curiosity and joy.” Sandy continued. “Many children don’t dislike reading—they dislike what they’re being asked to read. Our job is to help them discover stories that feed their minds and hearts. When they do, their love for learning grows naturally.”

Through Reading is Eating®, authors visit schools to talk with students about their writing process and encourage them to read and write. This spring, the initiative received its first school district sponsorship, allowing Sandy to speak at eight elementary schools in Orange County, New York.

Sandy always saw herself as an entrepreneur but did not consider herself an inventor until she encountered a problem she could not solve. On becoming a mother, Sandy sought a solution to a challenge she faced. As any parent knows, keeping track of baby bottle lids can be difficult, and lost lids often lead to spills and unsanitary conditions. Unable to find a bottle that addressed this issue, Sandy invented BabaLID®. The bottle’s unique, patented design attaches the lid to the bottle with a silicone tether. Because the lid remains connected and is easy to replace, the nipple stays protected, giving parents confidence that they are offering their child a clean, hygienic bottle.

BabaLID® took years to develop because Sandy was committed to perfecting the design. She recently told Carmine Denisco of the United Inventors Association Executive Committee on his podcast, The Launch Pad, that BabaLID® was more than a product; it was a passion project and something she hopes families will use for years to come.

One constant throughout the growth of both Plumeria Bouquets and BabaLID® was the support Sandy received from WEALF. That support included a no-interest loan to help grow inventory, as well as access to WEALF’s invaluable network, including having a mentor who worked with her along her journey.

“Sandy is simply amazing,” said Vicki Weiner, WEALF founder. “Her success and the evolution of her business, and now additional ventures, are exactly why we do the important work of nurturing budding entrepreneurs. While Sandy’s entrepreneurial spirit and belief in herself have fueled her ambition, we have had the privilege of serving as her sounding board, trusted advisors, and biggest cheerleaders.”

Vicki continued, “Sandy, like many of the other 130 women who have participated in our WEALF program over the last ten years, proves that the more we invest in women today, the more unstoppable their momentum will be tomorrow.”

In April of this year, Sandy combined her two passions, babies and books, and launched BabaLIDeracy, where feeding time meets reading time. BabaLIDeracy pairs one of Sandy’s books and a BabaLid® bottle. However, BabaLIDeracy is more than just a product, it is a movement rooted in the belief that children should be introduced to reading as early as possible. After all, if a child can hold a bottle, they can hold a book.