Featured Interview: Jenna Raby, Founder of Laborfair

By Jessica Cryer | Published January 17, 2008

The following article was written by Startup Princess writer, Jessica Cryer.

Good help is no longer hard to find. So says Jenna Raby, Founder of Labor Fair. Laborfair is an online resource for busy people (like yourself) looking for reliable, affordable help. The mission is simple. Laborfair connects those who need a service with those that can fulfill the service. From landscapers to house cleaners, information is available from the providers themselves. Use the search engine to search for the service needed. Providers can start profiles for themselves as well. And the best part about it is it’s FREE! All you have to do is rate a provider you’ve used using the Laborfair system.

Jenna Raby isn’t the middle man collecting a fee from each transaction. Rather, this down to earth do gooder promises 100% oLaborFairf the fee goes to the provider. This allows a fair wage for providers and a decent price for services for the consumer. The service is currently in the Bay area and northern California and just recently launched in Los Angeles.

Enjoy meeting Startup Princess, Jenna Raby!

Name: Jenna Raby

Hometown: Oldwick, New Jersey

Current Residence: San Francisco, California

Education: University of Virginia (1991 undergraduate English Literature and French Philosophy), Columbia University (2003 masters degree in International Affairs)

Title: Founder, President and Chief Mouthpiece for Laborfair.com. I lead Laborfair.com’s efforts to scale our partnerships and member base and build the structure for our social mission. I have an eclectic background in international business and the non-profit sector having worked as a foreign film buyer, a transportation broker for petroleum carriers in South America, and a program officer at a private family foundation.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: Queen of the Underdogs. An iconoclast. A do-gooder.

What you are: Queen of the Underdogs. An iconoclast. A do-gooder.

Brief Summary of your Startup: Need anything done? Want to find a local service provider with peer-reviews, ratings, and references? Need to know what the fair hourly rate is? That’s Labor Fair.com. Laborfair is the smart, easy and right way to find quality help ranging from a handyman to a personal chef. We connect service providers and people in search of personal help in a way that’s fair, easy and financially rewarding for everyone involved. We’re all over the Bay Area and Northern California, launching into Los Angeles next week.

Company Website? http://www.laborfair.com

What inspired you? I’ve always believed that business can be a phenomenal instrument of positive social change. Look at Seventh Generation, Whole Foods, B Corp, wind and solar power, Toyota’s success with Prius. These are all the businesses taking problems and turning them into profitable solutions for social ills. If you approach and create your business differently, the results will be different.

How long have you been in business? A year and ½.

How did you fund it? I pitched and pitched. A few early angel investors and my best friends. I’m raising more with our growth and success. Know anyone?

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? No, I wish I did. I’m working it out as I go. Women I don’t even know personally have been the greatest supporters of Laborfair and my vision.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? NAWBO, Young Women Social Entrepreneurs, Care2, and now Startup Princess.

Current Business Challenge? Finding affordable ways to introduce Laborfair as a free resource to working women, mothers, single girls, families with a huge “honey-do” list. With little resources, I need to get the word out on our amazing service. You can literally get anything done by a trusted, reliable service provider for a fair price on Laborfair. It’s incredible.

What are you doing about it? Breathing deeply, working hard, and asking for help where I can get it.

Favorite motivational quote: What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Family? My handsome and brilliant partner, Ben Picard, a fellow entrepreneur and my canine posse: Pablo and Diego—named after famous artists.

If so, how do you balance family and business? Poorly. It’s a challenge. We’re both entrepreneurs with our lives and savings invested in our businesses so it’s “go for broke time.” We do hike on the weekends with our dogs.

Favorite book? I loved “Eat, Pray, Love”, and I’m not one for best-sellers. I tend to like winners of England’s Booker Prize. This one I read straight on a very long airplane ride to India in February. It’s powerful.

What do you do to relax? Power Yoga, cycling, Zen Meditation, Cirque de Soleil performances and laughing hard.

What do you want to change most about your world? Make “fairness” the 8th virtue. Bring enable women to achieve financial independence.

What are you most proud of? Building a successful business while I had Lyme Disease, a really debilitating illness. I just refused to fail or give in to it. So far, so good.

What advice would you like to offer other Startup Princesses? There’s nothing stopping you. A door closes? Open a window. Having a bad day? There’s a great one right around the corner. Laugh at yourself and your situation. You’re truly living your life.

Learn by doing is my mantra. Nothing, absolutely nothing in my life, compares to first-hand experience.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? Word of Mouth.

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? I’m a red-head so EMERALDS and brown or yellow diamonds. They’re hot.

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One Response to “Featured Interview: Jenna Raby, Founder of Laborfair”

  1. antoine de vilmorin on January 17th, 2008 11:35 am

    This girl is fantastic!laborfair is a concept that a lot of people would have loved to create!
    Bravo

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