Sittercity Goes to Harvard
Sittercity.com CEO Shares the Tale of Sittercity.com with Harvard Business School Students
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Chicago, IL.) - She may have her master's degree in opera rather than business, but that never stopped Genevieve Thiers from becoming an award-winning entrepreneur and creating the entire industry of online care with the 2001 launch of her business, Sittercity.com, the Web's first and largest online source for in-home care. On March 11th, Thiers shared her "something from nothing" experience with an entrepreneur class at Harvard Business School, discussing her company as a case study for students.
Thiers -- who has been a guest speaker at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business, Babson College, the University of Chicago, Loyola University and Columbia College in Chicago, as well as hundreds of conventions and events across the country -- elaborated on the themes of being an artist and an entrepreneur all in one, starting an industry from scratch, and running a company with her husband as a "couple-preneur."
"I'm thrilled to be sharing Sittercity's story with one of the most prestigious student bodies in the world," stated Thiers, who launched Sittercity.com in Boston before relocating its headquarters to Chicago. "I love to teach, and this is an amazing opportunity to talk about my experience, which has literally been to create something from nothing. So much about being an entrepreneur is flying by the seat of your pants, and if I can do anything to bring budding entrepreneurs into my world for a day or two to let them see what it’s like, I love to do it."
Sittercity.com®, the inventor of online caregiving, is America’s largest and most trusted online source for child care, pet care, senior care, housekeeping, housesitting and tutoring. As the industry leader in online care, Sittercity has a network of more than a million caregiver profiles nationwide, and helps families and individuals across America find the perfect in-home care provider quickly, easily and safely. Sittercity’s care seekers can use the company’s four-step screening process, which includes checking references, reading caregiver reviews, conducting interviews and utilizing free access to background checks. Sitter profiles also come with photos, experience, training, safety skills, availability calendars, reviews and more. Registration for sitters is free, and care-seekers pay as little as $8 per month for a membership, which gives them unlimited ability to post jobs, and search, contact and hire sitters in their areas. The pioneer of its field, Sittercity has been featured by thousands of media outlets, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, TODAY Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and many more. Sittercity has also received twelve national awards, including a U.S. Small Business Administration award in 2006 from President Bush, and three international awards, including first place in the prestigious UPS "Out of the Box" Small Business contest. Sittercity’s Corporate Program now serves more than 25 marquee clients, including Avon, Mastercard, FOX Networks, Pitney Bowes and Monster Worldwide.
