PlantLife was born during the pandemic when houseplant sales surged and a new generation of plant owners entered the wellness space. With the U.S. market growing rapidly, I saw an opportunity to create a platform that matched the energy of the moment. I partnered with former colleagues from Apple and Nike to build a community for plant lovers who wanted a place to learn, share, and grow together.
As founder and head of product, I shaped the vision for PlantLife and led the strategy that brought the platform from idea to launch. I defined the product roadmap, built the design system, and partnered closely with engineering to architect a scalable foundation for growth and analytics.
I designed the end to end experience, including onboarding, community features, plant care tools, and the visual identity. Every element was created to help new plant owners feel supported and confident while building a warm and connected culture around plant care.
PlantLife gained fast traction, reaching more than eighty thousand downloads in its first year and raising one million in funding. The brand picked up national press, including a feature in Fast Company, and I collaborated with New York Times illustrator Brian Rea to help shape the look and feel of the launch.
As the pandemic stretched on and early stage funding contracted across the category, we made the decision to close the app. The experience strengthened my leadership skills and gave me a deeper understanding of product development, growth management, and team dynamics inside a fast moving startup.