[b]Givology: Tell us a little bit about the story behind Citibabes. What was the inspiration behind the business?[/b]
[b]GB:[/b] I moved from Sydney to New York over 15 years ago, and had my first daughter in 2005. While I was living in an apartment in Tribeca, I was intrigued by how people were having kids without any extended family support network in the city, and wanted to provide a community aspect to families that was lacking, despite the crowdedness of the city. Drawing from my background in finance, I developed a comprehensive business plan.
[b]Givology: [/b][b]You interact with families all the time. How does education figure in their lives, as well as programming offered by Citibabes? Does this interest extend globally?[/b]
[b]GB:[/b] Our goal is to provide a nurturing and dynamic environment that fosters imagination, curiosity and self-confidence in young children. Our classes promote cognitive, creative and social development through play, exploration and autonomous self-expression. This builds a solid foundation and love of learning.
[b]Givology: [/b][b]Why did you choose to partner with Givology and Good Events Co for the event in December? What drew you to the Givology mission?[/b]
[b]GB:[/b] We choose to partner with Givology because we truly believe in the mission of your organization and want to be able to provide a platform to raise money and awareness. Your vision is inspirational and allows children from all over the world to receive an education through grassroots projects run by volunteers.
[b]Givology: [/b][b]What are your goals for the event? [/b]
[b]GB:[/b] Our goal is to raise awareness and ideally get people talking about the lack of education throughout the world. We hope that the ticket sales from this event will provide scholarships for children and Givology will gain more volunteers.
[b]Givology: [/b][b]How does Citibabes think about giving back? [/b]
[b]GB:[/b] We always try to give back in a variety of ways from being part of a auctions and educational charity events throughout the city. We are also working with City Harvest and partnering with Toys for Tots this year for our holiday shopping event on December 14th. We also raised money and participated in this year’s Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk through Central Park.
[b]Givology: [/b][b]What message would you like to leave to the families and community that you serve, as well as the Givology[/b] [b]community? [/b]
[b]GB:[/b] Our core values at Citibabes are to provide the best resources and education for our families. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a community where children and adults may grow and flourish together; and to make the job of a parent that much easier. Our goal as educators is to provide a nurturing and dynamic environment that fosters imagination, curiosity and self-confidence in all young children and we hope this translates to all parts of their lives they get older.
24 NOV 2013