Shark Tank Takes on Early Childhood Development

This past January, I invested in Monti Kids on Shark Tank! Monti Kids, founded by Zahra Kassam, is the only Montessori subscription for children ages 0-3 that gives parents access to an authentic Montessori education, proven in schools for over 100 years. Monti Kids aims to close the education gap between birth and preschool, a critical period in a child’s development during which 85 percent of the brain is formed. They have already reached families in 25 countries, and continue to grow. Here’s their story:

Growing up, it was always Zahra’s dream to be a teacher. In the 6th grade, she was assigned a 1st grade reading buddy and she has been teaching ever since. She studied child psychology at Harvard College, received her Master’s from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and became an internationally certified Montessori teacher for children from birth to age six. She thought she would spend her career in the classroom. Then, she became a mother.

When her son Musa was born, the school where she was teaching started at age three (like most preschools around the world). She knew that she could not wait that long to give her baby a rich learning environment. So she hacked together a version of Monti Kids at home and struggled to stay on top of his development at every turn. While on maternity leave, she was also teaching “Baby and Me” classes at a local parenting center. The parents in her classes were anxious: they understood the importance of the early years, but they had so many questions about how to meet their baby’s developmental needs.

Researchers know that the architecture of the brain is created between birth and age 3, and that this is the foundation for all future learning. Yet children don’t start school until much later, and parents are left guessing how to support their baby’s development. This education gap is the problem that drives her and that led her to create Monti Kids.

After 3 years in development, Zahra launched Monti Kids when she was pregnant with her second baby boy. Zayd is now 1 year old, and it has been amazing to watch him learn and grow with Monti Kids. As a busy mom, she is so grateful to have this program for Zayd, and hopes that Monti Kids empowers other parents to give their baby the best start to their education. 

Visit: montikids.com for more information, and see a clip of Zahra’s Shark Tank appearance here!