Team Spotlight: Springrose

Teams
Mar 31, 2022
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by Elizabeth Savin ’25

Recently, The Garage had the opportunity to sit and speak with Nicole Cuervo (Kellogg ‘22, McCormick ‘22) to learn more about her company Springrose.

What is your company in its current form?

We make bras that are attractive, comfortable, and flexible for every woman’s physical ability so that women can get dressed painlessly and independently.

How is the year going so far?

It has been very eventful. We were able to finalize our product design and have been working with a manufacturing partner on our official samples. Also, we have applied for a utility patent and are gearing up for our product trial with 100+ women. 

Can you share a bit more about your background and what led you to found Springrose?

I have a background in design thinking and strategy and have worked specifically with government and non-profit organizations. This gave me a strong background in creating solutions for underserved populations, a skill I am still using through Springrose. The idea for Springrose is one that I had about seven years ago.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother Rose and noticed that her bra was uncomfortable. I tried to buy her a more comfortable one as a gift, but I couldn’t find anything that was adaptive, attractive, comfortable, and size-inclusive in 2015. For Rose, it was even more difficult since her osteoarthritis made it challenging to put on standard bras. The whole process was incredibly frustrating. I began thinking more about my grandma, her friends, and my future self. Why should anyone have clothes that make them feel bad? I continued to do research but at the time, Brown University didn’t have an entrepreneurship program, so I tabled the idea and went to work full time.

After a few years of work, I applied to MBA programs, got into Kellogg, began my work with The Garage, and have been working on Springrose ever since. I have had the opportunity to talk with so many women who understand the need for this product and that really fuels me to continue moving forward.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a company?

Manufacturing. We started during Covid which made the process even more difficult than usual. We couldn’t visit the factories and get to know the different options. I have had to learn a whole other language and compromise on the timeline I have in my head. I would love to do things much faster, but there are industry norms which make the process time-consuming.

from Springrose.co

What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of the product we have created. It is truly unique and can be put on at least 4 different ways, we are still exploring all the possibilities. We really designed for the extreme user in order to be as inclusive as possible. In the future, I hope to expand into other options that focus on more specific needs.

What do you hope people take away from your brand?

I think one thing we try to do is build a community around intimacy. As lives change, it is important for women to have a space where they can be vulnerable, connect with others, talk about themselves, and feel heard. We lead with empathy above all else at Springrose and hope to create a community where women feel comfortable sharing, learning, and reclaiming aspects of their life they may have lost.

How can people get involved or learn more?

They can visit our website or check us out on Facebook and Instagram @springrose.co

Elizabeth Savin ’25 is a Manufacturing and Design Engineering major from Wilmette, IL. She is a student aide at The Garage and is excited to become involved in the programs The Garage offers students. Her favorite thing about The Garage is that students have the opportunity to receive hands-on experience with entrepreneurship.

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