The Mom Project: Helping mothers return to work

I know from my own experience that when you become a mom getting back to work isn't easy. I also get many companies can't afford to have moms like us gone for long.

So a new concept could be a win-win for all of us. It was started by a woman who is a new mom herself.

Allison Robinson became a mom 10 months ago when her son, Asher, was born.

Before that she worked in sales and marketing for Proctor and Gamble.

"I knew that I couldn't go back and work at the level that I had been working," Robinson said.

So while tending to her first child, this new mom has been busy tending to another baby - a start-up called The Mom Project.

"I'm just so happy to be in this opportunity to really help moms across the country to find really meaningful, rewarding work," Robinson said.

The Mom Project could revolutionize the way we work.

It provides project-based work for women and needed talent to companies through its maternityship program.

"So that is when companies have someone go out on parental leave, creating a gap in staffing for the organization, so we send in one of our professionals who have very complementary skillsets to cover for that gap and it also provides a really nice vehicle for re-entry for our talent base," Robinson said.

The Mom Project just launched last month in Chicago, but more than 3,000 professionals and more than 100 companies of all sizes across the country have signed up.

Philadelphia-based Penn Mutual is considering becoming its newest partner and for Penn Mutual's CEO, the project's mission is personal.

"I took three years off from the industry and during that period of time, there weren't programs like The Mom Project to help women be able to bridge and continue to work," Penn Mutual CEO Eileen McDonnell said.

McDonnell believes businesses could greatly benefit, too.

"In order to have a great company, you have to have great people, so this gives you the opportunity to attract and retain great women at various stages of their career," McDonnell said.

Women like Karen Finn of Warminster, Pa., a former project manager who's ready to get back to a career outside of the home, but at her own pace.

"I feel settled. I will have two kids in full-time school in the fall," Finn said.

Finn signed up for The Mom Project and can't wait to see where it takes her and others.

"I just think that there's a huge population of really bright, motivated women who want to stay relevant and maybe do something completely different and this is an amazing idea and opportunity," Finn said.

The Mom Project is equal opportunity, eligible men can join, too.

Candidates must have an undergraduate degree, five years of professional experience, and undergo an interview with a talent manager.

Online: https://www.themomproject.com/