Jillian Rothe '06: Entrepreneur. Engineer. Breastmilk storage patent holder.
Making the Next Generation of Products to Support Parents
As Rothe checked her mailbox earlier this year, her achievement for parents everywhere finally became real. Inside? A United States patent for her award-winning, USA-made breast milk storage solution.
Her journey to patent-hood began through her unexpected path to parenthood. While based in Singapore working in a career with extreme travel requirements, Rothe and her partner were given the "blessing and surprise" of pregnancy in 2015 and the challenge to solve a major hurdle: finding a way to store enough milk for weeklong business trips without the bags breaking in the freezer and milk going to waste.
Her solution? The early prototype of the Freeze It FlatTM.
Innovation Inspiration
What began as a personal hack quickly turned into nights and weekends as an "accidental entrepreneur," says Rothe. She soon founded MAMMaway, a company missioned to provide breastfeeding solutions, and part of the growing pool of women-led companies trying to improve the parent experience. The start-up's aim is to support breastfeeding parents through functional products and tactical support.
The Freeze It Flat fix is simple and smart. A rectangular plastic bag of freshly expressed breast milk is encased between two sturdy plates made from recycled plastic and secured by two tiers of silicone elastic straps. After a trip to the freezer, the result is a flat, stackable bag of frozen milk. The device promises to nearly double freezer space and prevent mangled bags of breast milk prone to spillage, protecting the "liquid gold."
Rothe spent 15 years working across five continents in male-dominated fields— mining, construction, energy, marine, and oil and gas. These years served as Rothe's field research into the unique struggles faced by parents who work and travel while also nourishing offspring.
The company is not just a manufacturer of products. MAMMaway customers can also request one-on-one coaching with Rothe, a self-proclaimed "lactivist."
"Sometimes we need to see and hear from someone who has been there before us," says Rothe. "Rarely do I get a question from a customer that I haven't had a personal, shared experience around."
Rothe's positive influence extends to those closest to her as well. "I love showing my kids that you don't have to just 'get a job' when you grow up; you can take an idea in your head centered around a need and create real change for the world as a CEO," she says.
At Tech, Rothe pursued dual degrees in engineering and business, graduating in 2006. She says this multidisciplinary education helped nurture her innovation: "This fire was lit at Michigan Tech decades ago without me even realizing it." In 2014, Rothe was named the University's Outstanding Young Alumni. Her plaque hangs today right outside the College of Business dean's office and inside the R.L. Smith Building, aka the MEEM.
Women + Patents
Rothe and other women who have been awarded a patent are in the minority. In the last decade, only 4 percent of patents have gone exclusively to women. Filed in 2018, approved in 2022, and in-hand in 2023, the Freeze It Flat patent gives Rothe grounds to challenge a counterfeit product circulating on Amazon and Etsy. She has two additional patented products pending. "Advocating for my product has been a whole new education in understanding the law of the US Patent and Trademark Office versus the 'law of Amazon,'" she says.
Patents are just the beginning. Rothe, now based in Denver, Colorado, and a mom of three, envisions future ways to provide parents with support. She is collaborating with fellow parents through event speaking, podcast interviews, and developing affiliated partnerships with fellow leaders in the breastfeeding space.
Earlier this year, MAMMAway secured its first wholesale partnership with Sarah Wells Bags, purveyor of pump bags, clothing, and accessories, including the new, creamsicle-colored MAMMaway x Sarah Wells Freeze It Flat. Rothe is seeing value in connecting with social media influencers including @lactationchat, whose reel featuring the Freeze It Flat went viral. And, she's also working with Mothers' Milk Bank in Arvada, Colorado. "MAMMaway is making a difference for parents during what can be a stressful, chaotic, and sleep-deprived time of their lives," says Rothe.
Huskies Helping Huskies
Follow MAMMaway on Instagram or TikTok @MAMMaway and visit their website.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
