Our Team

Monica Banks is our Chief Guru. Prior to becoming the founder and CEO of Gugu Guru, Monica was a branding and marketing consultant in the Mom & Baby industry. She currently lives with her husband, two children and dog in Long Island, New York.
Krysta Harrick is our Partnerships Guru. Krysta lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and 2 children. She has experience in retail and is working as a liaison for our valued vendor partners. She is excited to help new parents through exciting times in their lives.


Olivia Howell is our Social Media & Influencer Marketing Guru. She resides in Long Island with her two sons. She owns a social media management company. Olivia has been working with Gugu Guru for over 5 years and is proud to be a part of such an amazing team of hard-working women.
Michelle Hsiao is our eCommerce and Digital experience Guru. Michelle lives on Long Island, NY with her husband and young daughter. She has an extensive retail background leading eCommerce, merchandising/buying, and digital customer experience teams for major Fortune 500 companies. She loves providing the best in class experience to our parents and working with the incredibly committed Gugu Guru team.


Liz Humphrey is our Gear Guru. Having a background in the baby product industry, she is passionate about finding solutions for overwhelmed parents-to-be and caregivers. Liz believes choosing the right products for a family’s lifestyle can both simplify and facilitate their life. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two dogs and is proud to be a part of the Gugu Guru community.
Abby Ludwig is our Parent Experience Guru. She is a mom to twin boys, with a second set on the way. She lives in the Chicagoland area. As a former Kindergarten teacher, she loves to keep things organized. Abby is proud to have joined the Gugu Guru team in 2017.


Chelsea Minidis is our Business Development Guru. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons and two dogs. She has been working with Gugu Guru as Director of Brand Development since July 2018 and is excited to be a part of this mama run company.
Katie Shutters-Petrie is our Marketing Guru. Katie lives in the Tri-State area with her daughter and husband. Over the course of her career, she has stayed ahead of marketing trends and managed the development of online strategies for retailers and vendors alike. As a new working mom, she is always interested in the innovation that baby products provide for parents and children to help make each day (and night) a bit easier and safer.


Christine Swearingen is our Teamwork Guru. A former math teacher, Christine is a military spouse and mama residing in Anchorage, Alaska with her husband and daughter. She is honored to be a part of the Gugu Guru team and help parents along this crazy journey we call parenthood!
Jenna Tobin is our Business Development & Influencer Marketing Guru. She currently resides in Ohio with her soon-to-be hubby. A former co-founder of an influence marketing agency, Jenna joined the Gugu Guru team in 2020. She's looking forward to learning the in's and out's of the baby industry and plans to help introduce exciting brands and products to new parents!

Trusted Experts

Naomi Alon
Little Crown Interiors

Lori Bregman
Doula, Life Coach

Julie Burt Nichols
Twiniversity

Lori Caden
COO & Co-Founder of Belly Bandit

Gina Ciagne
Momseze

Colleen Curtis
Chief Community Officer

Tara Darnley
Founder Darlyng & Co.

Natalie Diaz
Twiniversity

Elina Furman
Media Marketer

Alexzandra “Xza” Higgins
Entrepreneur

Jessica Hill
The Parent Collective

Alison Jacobson
CEO of First Candle

Brandi Jordan
Postpartum Care Expert

Tara Campbell Lussier
Co-founder of Arrow Birth

Kelly Mariotti
Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association

Becky Miller
Tinyhood

Mahaley Patel
Certified Pediatric
Sleep Consultant

Jen Saxton
Founder & CEO
of Tot Squad

Jada Shapiro
Founder of Birth Day
Presence & Boober

Emily Sylvester
Founder and CEO of Nurture Talk

Halle Tecco
Founder & CEO of Natalist

Kim West
The Sleep Lady