When the founding team launched their startup Lulo in New York City, they aimed to address the specific challenges faced by Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recipients during grocery shopping in the nation’s most populous city.
However, the app’s initial downloads surprised them—it was not New Yorkers who embraced Lulo the most, but users in Georgia.
This unexpected response from Georgians proved significant enough for Sarah Stellwag, Lulo’s co-founder and CEO, to make a strategic move.
Earlier this spring, Stellwag relocated to the Atlanta Tech Village’s South Downtown location, ready to build her company closer to the customers already demonstrating Lulo’s value.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has been around since the 1970s, offering vital support such as monthly food packages, nutritional education, and breastfeeding assistance to low-income pregnant women and new mothers.
By 2024, WIC was serving approximately 6.7 million participants monthly, including over 40% of infants in the United States.
Widely regarded as an effective public health initiative, WIC is particularly recognized for its role in improving dietary habits, birth outcomes, and maternal health.
In Georgia, eligible participants receive an eWIC card, which functions like a debit card, loaded with a monthly balance that can be spent at designated stores to purchase approved food items.
According to Stellwag, WIC stands out as the “premier food is medicine program” in the country.
Despite its merits, WIC participation rates remain low, hampered by varied state policies regarding approved items and the hurdles of navigating the accompanying paperwork.
The Lulo team uncovered these pain points by accompanying families on their WIC grocery shopping trips, witnessing firsthand the frustration of having items rejected at checkout due to unclear approval statuses.
Many shoppers were also confused about their family’s monthly benefit balances, leading them to rush through their shopping experiences.
Stellwag noted, “the experience led people to just want to get out of the store as quickly as possible,” which often resulted in vital food items being left behind on shelves rather than making it onto the tables of families in need.
This insight motivated the Lulo team to develop a solution that could streamline the grocery shopping process for WIC participants, one that honored their time and dignity.
Lulo, named after a fruit native to South America, assists families in navigating the WIC system more effectively.
The app allows users to check their WIC balance, easily determine if items in their shopping cart are approved, and discover new food products available to them.
By replacing the confusing lists of approved items with a user-friendly interface, Lulo enhances the shopping experience for families.
User-generated content has also played a significant role in promoting the app.
A viral TikTok trend contributed to 10,000 new downloads within just two days, highlighting the community’s interest in the platform.
Beyond the family support aspect, Lulo has uncovered a business opportunity with consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, who are keen to engage more effectively with WIC recipients and raise awareness about qualifying products.
In its early phases, Lulo has begun partnering with these companies to develop redemption offers and digital advertising campaigns within the app.
Sarah Stellwag’s journey to founding Lulo was shaped significantly by her interest in government and politics, which she developed early in life.
After enrolling at Georgetown University, she initially planned to pursue a government career.
Her involvement with The Corp, a campus initiative where students managed storefronts, introduced her to the operations of businesses, including payroll and inventory management.
Following her graduation from Georgetown, Stellwag joined Deloitte and later spent a year in Malaysia with the Fulbright Program.
Upon her return to the U.S., she began working for Propel, a fintech company that provides a mobile app for millions of SNAP beneficiaries.
Stellwag’s experience at Propel, where she rose to the position of Senior Product Manager, reinforced her belief in the potential of civic technology as a bridge between families and social services.
This understanding became a driving force in launching Lulo.
Looking ahead, the Lulo team has participated in various initiatives, including the Techstars Economic Mobility program and Blue Ridge Labs, and has secured several health-related grants.
Alongside the founding team—Dani Lopez (Chief of Strategy and Operations), Unnati Shukla (Head of Design), Rye Welz Geselowitz (Founding Engineer), and Sean Auriti (CTO)—Stellwag aims to capitalize on the traction Lulo has gained in Georgia.
Currently, Lulo is focused on expanding its reach nationally, with a waitlist of 12,000 families eager to use the app.
Ultimately, Stellwag envisions Lulo transforming the entire grocery shopping experience for families, aiming to form partnerships with community-based organizations in Georgia and connect with more CPG companies to enhance its offerings.
image source from：hypepotamus
