# Meet The HIBT Fellows: Kaitlin McGreyes & Nicole Argüelles

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-05-20
- Length: 24m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-20-meet-the-hibt-fellows-kaitlin-mcgreyes-nicole-arguelles

## Summary

Kaitlin McGreyes, founder of Be Her Village, explains her gift registry model that funds postpartum support services like night nurses and doulas rather than physical baby gear, addressing the isolation and lack of support new mothers face. Nicole Argüelles, co-founder of Alli, describes her hardware solution to period poverty: a modern, touchless vending machine dispensing hygiene products in public restrooms, currently deployed in South Florida with plans for national expansion. Both founders discuss their early-stage operations, team building, and how the $50,000 How I Built This Fellowship grant will accelerate their community and hardware deployment efforts.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-20-meet-the-hibt-fellows-kaitlin-mcgreyes-nicole-arguelles#t=0) Introduction: How I Built This Fellows Program
- [1:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-20-meet-the-hibt-fellows-kaitlin-mcgreyes-nicole-arguelles#t=93) Kaitlin McGreyes and Be Her Village's Postpartum Registry
- [6:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-20-meet-the-hibt-fellows-kaitlin-mcgreyes-nicole-arguelles#t=386) Be Her Village's Business Model and Birth Worker Network
- [11:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-20-meet-the-hibt-fellows-kaitlin-mcgreyes-nicole-arguelles#t=688) Leadership Lessons: Pattern Matching and Company Culture
- [17:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-20-meet-the-hibt-fellows-kaitlin-mcgreyes-nicole-arguelles#t=1036) Nicole Argüelles and the Problem with Period Dispensers
- [20:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-20-meet-the-hibt-fellows-kaitlin-mcgreyes-nicole-arguelles#t=1201) Alli's Hardware: Designing and Manufacturing Vending Machines
- [22:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-20-meet-the-hibt-fellows-kaitlin-mcgreyes-nicole-arguelles#t=1376) Alli's Expansion Plans and Grant Usage

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Be Her Village (product)
- Alli (product)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Visa (other)
- The Knot (company)
- Zola (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Founder Feature: Val Emanuel of Rif Care](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-01-03-founder-feature-val-emanuel-of-rif-care) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#002 - Empowering women in Nepal by a woman entrepreneur, with Anya Cherneff of Empower Generation, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2016-12-08-002-empowering-women-in-nepal-by-a-woman-entrepreneur-with-anya-cherneff-of-empo) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [Founder Feature: Steph Nightingale of Stimmie](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-08-15-founder-feature-steph-nightingale-of-stimmie) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Mid-Week Update - January 27, 2022](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-01-27-mid-week-update-january-27-2022) (Designing in the Wild)
- [389: Blobs Are Not Stressful](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-10-14-389-blobs-are-not-stressful) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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