Eszter Erdleyi
CEO at Feeding Your Kids Foundation
“I'm inspired by my husband. He's such a elemental force and is always saying "we can do it' and giving something a try and seeing if it works. He always pushes me along and helps me push my boundaries. If I say it's difficult, he's ready to push me to the things I never thought I would be able to do.”
Read Eszter Erdleyi full profile below
What do you do every day?
Right now, I do two things every day: I run a foundation which is distributing an internal program for parents to help their children eat healthier and I write the content for the program and deal with the technical issues that come with sharing the program across the globe. I look at the users and the user feedback we receive every day. I secure funds for our foundation so we can do even more technically. The program is part of the Clinton Global Initiative and I work closely with them. I use Twitter every day to connect with other people who work in the same area. In addition to everything I do for the foundation, I work on creating an iPhone app that is for children and teens to learn how to handle their healthy eating habits. No parent wants to feed their child unhealthy food but the reality is a lot of parents are confused on what to feed their children and how to do it. Part of it is content writing, and part of it is fundraising so we can do more!
Why do you love it?
First, there is the obvious: every morning I receive an email from a parent who saw our program and was able to help their child. This morning, it was from a mother in Nigeria who saw an immediate change in her child after following the program!
At a higher level, there is a satisfaction coming from the way my whole career has been shaped by this particular circumstance. I grew up in Hungary, and I graduated with a degree in economics. The system there is just now changing from socialistic to capitalistic. The first few years of my professional life were spent advising the World Bank and other organizations on that transition. It was a situation where I was trying to change people's behavior without their knowledge of the outcome. It was a very powerful experience and combined with my previous study in sociology and psychology it pushed me into areas where change is happening. I was really excited that something that typically costs thousands of dollars—counseling at an obesity clinic— is now available for free through the Internet. You can learn and change your behavior. It is very exciting for me to see that!
At a higher level, there is a satisfaction coming from the way my whole career has been shaped by this particular circumstance. I grew up in Hungary, and I graduated with a degree in economics. The system there is just now changing from socialistic to capitalistic. The first few years of my professional life were spent advising the World Bank and other organizations on that transition. It was a situation when I was trying to change people's behavior without their knowledge for what the outcome was. It was a very powerful experience for me and combined with my previous study in sociology and psychology. It pushed me into areas where change is happening. I really excited that something which we can only obtain for thousands of dollars - counseling at an obesity clinic- we can make available for free through the Internet. You can learn and change your behavior. It is very exciting for me to see that!
What were your moments of fear and challenges in your career?
I always have fear—I’m the type who worries. But challenges, I have had plenty. I first applied to Harvard Business School with my bes friend and my best friend was accepted and I wasn’t. We were the first to apply from Eastern Europe and wanted to join as Hungarian citizens. The second time I applied, I got in. And then I found out it cost a significant portion of the Hungarian GDP! I had to find someone to pay for me. After I graduated, I started to work for a management consulting firm. At first I was a big fish in small pond in Hungary. When I started to work in the US, I was a small fish in a big pond! It took some adjustment. I found that I needed to get back to the basics.
Coming back to work after maternity leave was another challenge and when I decided to have my second child, I took time off to write a book and that was a lot easier.
After that, I ended up working with the Clinton Foundation!
What are some of the latest innovations in science that you are most excited about?
The Internet of Things!
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Hungary.
Tell us about your personal style.
Leather jackets! I love them and they work with my suits, jeans and are perfect for the Bay Area.
Is there a current book or book you love?
I have just started to read The Hundred Food Journey by Richard Morais.
What is your favorite website or fun activity?
Feeding Your Kids.com (@feedingyourkids) Feeding Your Kids Foundation.org. I do tweet quite a bit (@eszter)
Who inspires you?
I'm inspired by my husband. He's such a elemental force and is always saying "we can do it' and giving something a try and seeing if it works. He always pushes me along and helps me push my boundaries. If I say it's difficult, he's ready to push me to the things I never thought I would be able to do.
What’s next for you?
I hope that the app I'm working on will be a huge commercial success and make a difference!
What's next is really scale. I just can't say that enough—we have thousands of users, the next step is to have millions.
