Liberty Road

April 7, 2022 | interview by Nada Jones

Melanie Wolff is a mother of three under nine and knows a thing or two about juggling work and parenting. Armed with an undergraduate degree from Princeton and an MBA from Columbia, Melanie spent 15 years working in advertising, marketing, and technology for brands including; Schick, Johnson & Johnson, Bravo, and Amazon before launching Brella.

After moving to the West Coast and starting a family, Melanie became aware of the lack of early child care services that matched a full-time work schedule and her needs as a parent.

After being introduced by a friend to Darien Williams, an architect who shared her hope for more meaningful and updated child care service and space, the two started brainstorming and Brella was born. In addition to the intentionally designed space, parent education, and a customized curriculum for early childhood, Brella has created the first on-demand, technology-enabled child care service that focuses on the needs of families today.

In this episode, Nada sits down with Melanie to discuss how she never intended to be an entrepreneur. Once she found herself living with a problem she thought she could solve, it became clear that it was time to take the entrepreneurial leap. Melanie tells us that although she and Darien share many overlapping strengths, they have successfully made that partnership work despite all the advice to differentiate. Setting clear guidelines on how they would solve future problems, they started establishing their partnership before establishing their ideas. Together, they are creating spaces for children to thrive in this day and age, leaving behind the antiquated structures from the 1950s.

If you never thought you would launch your own thing, this conversation is specifically for you!

Be sure to check out Melanie’s use for all things cleaner, hypochlorous acid, and the brand LUMION.

Listen on Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcast | Or right here!

Check out Brella’s website to look at their beautiful locations in Playa Vista, Hollywood, and soon to open Pasadena. And follow on Instagram: @hellobrella.

Please follow us at @thisislibertyroad on Instagram--that's where we hang out the most. And please rate and review us —it helps to know if this podcast is inspiring and equipping you to launch and grow your ventures.