Built on Faith, Family, and Purpose: The Sisters Behind Ninni Co

In an era when so many baby products are designed in boardrooms far removed from the realities of parenthood, sisters Jane and Joy built something different — not simply a product, but a solution born from lived experience, faith, and persistence.

The founders of Ninni Co, the company behind the now-beloved breast-like pacifier designed to support breastfeeding families, are more than entrepreneurs. They are mothers, sisters, daughters of entrepreneurs, and women deeply rooted in Midwestern values shaped by family, integrity, and hard work.

Growing up in St. Louis, the sisters were raised in a household where faith and business were intertwined. Their father, a businessman and man of faith, taught them that integrity matters, hard work is non-negotiable, and a person’s word carries weight. Their mother reinforced those values through steadfast support and encouragement.

Those early lessons became foundational to the way they approach both motherhood and entrepreneurship today.

“Motherhood is the greatest journey we’ve been on,” Joy says. “We believe in prioritizing that and not letting it fall by the wayside for the sake of success in business.”

That philosophy has become deeply embedded into the DNA of Ninni Co.

Sisters First, Business Partners Second

Working alongside family can test even the closest relationships, but Jane and Joy intentionally built their company around the idea that their relationship as sisters would always come first.

“Relationships are complex on their own,” Jane explains. “But when you add best friends, sisters, and business partners into the mix, it takes real intention and work.”

From the beginning, the sisters committed themselves to generosity, honesty, and communication. They learned to trust each other’s strengths rather than compete for control.

Jane naturally stepped into the role of CEO, leading with vision, invention, and design strategy. Joy became COO, bringing strengths in marketing, execution, and business development.

Together, they formed a partnership that balanced creativity with implementation.

“There was a learning curve,” Joy admits. “But we made a commitment to over communicate and respect each other’s roles. That became one of the healthiest parts of our business.”

A Mother’s Need Turned Mission

The inspiration for Ninni Co began not in a corporate strategy meeting, but in the middle of motherhood.

When Jane gave birth to her third son, Judah, she found herself navigating full-time work, breastfeeding, and caring for multiple young children simultaneously. Exhausted and overwhelmed, she searched for a pacifier that would support breastfeeding rather than interfere with it.

Nothing worked.

She searched internationally, convinced someone somewhere must have already created the kind of pacifier she envisioned — one that mimicked the softness, movement, and natural latch of breastfeeding.

But after extensive searching, she realized the product simply did not exist.

At the same time, she discovered countless mothers online voicing the exact same frustration.

“That’s when it shifted from being a personal challenge to a purpose-driven mission,” Jane says.

What started as one mother’s unmet need quickly evolved into a seven-year journey of invention, design, testing, prototyping, rejection, and persistence.

Building a Product by Mothers, for Mothers

One of the greatest strengths behind the Ninni pacifier was also something many early investors dismissed: the founders were mothers, not traditional product developers.

“We had a lot of people discount our credibility,” Joy recalls. “People would ask, ‘Why do you think this hasn’t been done already?’”

At times, those doubts crept in.

But ultimately, the sisters realized their lived experience was precisely what qualified them.

“Who better to create a breast-like pacifier than breastfeeding moms who know exactly what babies and mothers need?” Joy says.

That perspective shaped every detail of the design process.

The sisters remained uncompromising about quality, sourcing premium silicone and working with top-tier manufacturers. They refused to release anything they would not confidently give to their own children.

Their maternal intuition also remained central throughout development. While they relied on engineers, lactation consultants, and infant feeding specialists to help refine the product scientifically, they stayed grounded in their own experiences as mothers.

“We were moms first,” Jane says. “We knew how we wanted the product to feel, move, and function.”

That blend of science, maternal instinct, and innovation ultimately became part of the company’s identity.

Seven Years of Waiting, Doubting, and Continuing Anyway

Seven years is an extraordinarily long development cycle for any product — especially for two women balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship.

During that time, the sisters faced repeated rejection from investors who doubted whether the idea could become a viable business.

“No one wanted to take the risk,” Joy says. “For seven years, we heard, ‘It sounds good in theory, but we don’t know if it’s a provable concept.’”

Yet those years also strengthened the sisters’ resilience.

Instead of allowing setbacks to consume them, they learned when to pause.

“There were seasons where every door felt closed,” Jane says. “During those times, we focused on the other important parts of our lives while waiting for clarity or the next opportunity.”

The pauses became part of the process rather than signs of failure.

They continued raising children, celebrating milestones, laughing together, and maintaining perspective.

At the same time, they never abandoned their belief that the product would one day reach families who needed it.

Their perseverance eventually paid off.

After years of self-belief and determination, the sisters secured angel investors shortly before launch. Ironically, the years spent hearing “no” ultimately allowed them to retain ownership of the company they had fought so hard to build.

Entrepreneurship Was Already in Their Blood

Although Ninni Co marked their breakthrough as founders, entrepreneurship was hardly unfamiliar territory.

The sisters grew up working in their family’s heating and cooling business. Even generations before that, their grandfather owned both a farm and logging business in Mississippi during the early 1900s.

“Building something from the ground up is simply what we come from,” Jane says.

That entrepreneurial spirit gave them the confidence to take risks and pursue unconventional ideas.

“I think entrepreneurs are people willing to embrace uncertainty and think beyond the traditional path,” she explains.

For Jane and Joy, creating Ninni Co felt less like a career shift and more like stepping into something they were always meant to do.

Leading with Integrity and Intention

Today, the values that shaped the sisters’ childhood continue to shape their company culture.

Integrity remains central to every business decision.

From ethical manufacturing practices to exceeding safety standards, the founders insist on approaching every aspect of the business with intention.

“It means going above and beyond what’s required,” Joy says. “We always say, ‘From our home to yours,’ because we truly are offering a piece of our hearts with every product.”

That intentionality extends to their decision to manufacture entirely within the United States — a choice they describe as non-negotiable from the beginning.

Despite the increased costs, the sisters wanted direct oversight of the manufacturing process and complete confidence in the materials being used.

“We wanted to know exactly what was going into families’ homes,” Jane explains.

Even as opportunities arose to move production overseas, they remained committed to staying aligned with the values upon which the company was founded.

The Emotional Weight of Helping Families

For the founders, the most meaningful part of the journey has not been business growth or market validation.

It has been hearing directly from families.

Over the years, they have received countless messages from exhausted mothers thanking them for creating something that brought comfort, relief, or rest during difficult seasons.

One story, however, remains unforgettable.

A foster mother once contacted the company after taking in a newborn experiencing drug withdrawal symptoms. The baby struggled constantly with soothing and comfort.

Desperate to help, the foster mother tried the Ninni pacifier.

“She said the baby took it immediately,” Joy recalls. “For the first time, she saw the baby soothed and comforted in the way he needed.”

The message deeply moved the sisters.

“It reminded us why we kept going all those years,” Joy says.

Motherhood While Building a Company

Balancing a rapidly growing business while raising children has not always been easy.

In the earliest stages of the company, Jane and Joy often found themselves stretched thin.

“When everything depends on just the two of you, entrepreneurship can be incredibly demanding,” Jane says.

Still, the sisters intentionally built Ninni Co around family-first principles.

They created boundaries, built strong teams, and committed themselves to showing up for the moments that mattered most.

Their children, meanwhile, have grown up alongside the company itself.

“They understand we were building something meaningful,” Jane says. “And they know deeply how loved they are.”

Motherhood, in many ways, transformed both women as leaders.

Jane describes becoming a mother as the experience that made her a better person.

“It taught me accountability, humility, and vulnerability,” she says. “My children inspire me to practice what I preach.”

The sisters also believe society still has important conversations to continue having around motherhood, breastfeeding, and parental support.

Joy points to the lack of robust maternity and paternity leave in the United States as evidence that society often undervalues the realities of childbirth and infant care.

At the same time, she acknowledges growing progress around breastfeeding awareness, accommodations, and support.

“The more openly we talk about it, normalize it, and support it, the better,” she says.

Faith as the Foundation

Throughout every stage of the company’s evolution, faith has remained central.

Both sisters speak openly about believing the company was part of a larger purpose.

Especially during difficult seasons, that belief sustained them.

“I honestly don’t think we would have made it through the challenges without our faith,” Jane says.

Their faith-based approach also influences how they lead their team, interact with customers, and define success.

For the sisters, business has never been solely about revenue or growth.

It has always been about service.

“We want our legacy to reflect purpose, faith, integrity, and a genuine desire to help others,” Jane says.

A Legacy Bigger Than a Product

Today, Ninni Co represents far more than an innovative pacifier.

It represents the power of maternal intuition. The resilience of women willing to hear “no” for years while continuing anyway. The complexity and beauty of sisterhood. The intersection of faith and entrepreneurship. And the belief that meaningful businesses can still be built around integrity, intentionality, and family.

For mothers with ideas quietly sitting in notebooks or hearts, the sisters offer simple but honest advice: it will not be easy.

But it may still be worth pursuing.

“You have to be willing to believe in yourself when no one else does,” Joy says.

That belief carried them through seven uncertain years of rejection, uncertainty, and sacrifice. It carried them through manufacturing hurdles, investor doubts, and the constant balancing act of motherhood and entrepreneurship. And ultimately, it carried them toward creating a company that now supports families around the world.

Today, Ninni Co stands as a reflection of everything Jane and Joy value most: faith, integrity, resilience, family, and purposeful innovation. Their story is not simply about inventing a pacifier. It is about trusting intuition, honoring motherhood, and refusing to abandon a calling that they believed could genuinely help others.

In a marketplace often driven by speed and profit, the sisters behind Ninni Co chose a different path — one rooted in patience, quality, compassion, and conviction.

And perhaps that is the true legacy they are building: not just a product for babies, but a company that reminds parents they are seen, supported, and understood by women who have walked the same road themselves.

check out Ninni Co today