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November 6, 2020 Women Who Mean Business

Schneider’s child-soothing invention blossoms into a global business

Carla Schneider is the inventor of WubbaNub, a popular pacifier celebrating its 20th anniversary.
By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich

Whoever said necessity is the mother of invention must’ve had Carla Schneider in mind.

Schneider is the inventor behind the global phenomenon, WubbaNub, a popular pacifier celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Sounds like a funny name, right? But this little pacifier — created of latex-free, medical-grade silicone and attached to a plush, stuffed animal — is no joke.

Schneider’s story dates back to 1999, when the first-time mom solved a problem many new parents face. Her family took a vacation with then-newborn son Bret (now 22) in tow. Bret had trouble relaxing because his pacifier kept popping out of his mouth, with no way for his tiny hands to grasp it.

Out of desperation, Schneider grabbed Bret’s favorite stuffed animal and a hotel sewing kit and proceeded to invent something that would change not only her life, but become a lifesaver for fussy babies and tired parents everywhere.

“In a moment of inspiration, I sewed his pacifier onto his plush, and the first WubbaNub was born,” Schneider recalled. “With the encouragement of my family, I turned my idea into a business.”

Schneider, the founder and CEO of Trebco Specialty Products Inc., maker of the WubbaNub, launched the first wubs from her kitchen table, and since moved the company’s corporate headquarters and 10 employees to 3,000 square feet of office space in Milford, at 42 Cherry St., where WubbaNubs have become a household name.

From neonatal intensive care units at Johns Hopkins and Cincinnati Children’s hospitals to a fan favorite among celebrity moms and dads like Kim Kardashian, Chrissy Teigen and Jimmy Fallon, the wubs are beloved by babies (and parents) far and wide.

The product line has grown from the original red dog and yellow duck wubs to now include 62 comforting characters.

There’s a licensed MLB line and a Jimmy Fallon collection, where Schneider teamed up with the Tonight Show host to bring Fallon’s Mama Penguin and Dada Moo Cow characters from his best-selling children’s books to life. The newest wub, Budster — named after Schneider’s fluffy white Bichon, Buddy — commemorates the 20th anniversary.

That growth has helped boost Trebco Specialty Products’ revenues more than 400% over the past eight years, said Schneider, who has scored numerous awards and accolades, including the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.

She was recently nominated again by the Women in Toys Wonder Women Award, where she’s in good company with fellow female inventors from Disney to Dreamworks.

“Our core philosophy at WubbaNub is simple: to create products that we would feel safe giving to our own children,” Schneider said.

Loyal support, customers

Schneider credited her family’s support, dedicated team of employees and numerous consultants for the success. WubbaNubs can be found everywhere from Amazon, Target and buy buy Baby, to specialty boutiques worldwide.

Mom Kelly Blumenthal was gifted her first giraffe and lamb WubbaNubs at her first son’s baby shower.

“With our first son, it was the comfort aspect and also the animal laying flat that allowed the pacifier to stay in his mouth when he slept,” Blumenthal said. “He slept more so we slept more, which was a big win.”

But when Blumenthal’s second son was born, the WubbaNub played an even larger role.

“Our second son was born with severe heart disease,” she said. “He spent the majority of his life in the hospital. I remember the first time Finn met lamby. He was a newborn and only allowed to have sugar water. I would dip lamby in the sugar water and he would suck on it until he became so exhausted he would fall asleep with his hands around lamby’s face. It broke my heart, but made it a little less broken to see how important the comfort and security of his WubbaNub was.”

A former special education teacher, Schneider is also quite proud of the company’s charitable component, WubCares. A notable donation came through her collaboration with Fallon, where 1,000 of the Mama and Dada wubs were donated to Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing and other basic necessities.

Starting her own business was tough, but Schneider received great advice and took risks.

“There will be great times and there will be hard times, but persevering during those hard times is what makes the difference between being successful and not being successful,” she said. “Don’t let doubt happen. Don’t lose faith in yourself.” 

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