Mums in Tech ft. Laura King
As part of our ‘Mums in Tech’ series, we caught up with Laura King, Founder of BloomBand.io.
The purpose of our 'MotherBoard’ interview series is to highlight incredible working mums within tech, as well as individuals and businesses that are supportive and progressive within their approach to creating more inclusive tech teams for women.
Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?
I'm Laura King, Founder of BloomBand.io, a welltech platform helping parents and caregivers of children aged 2–12 understand their child's emotional and developmental wellbeing through daily check-ins and AI-powered insights. I also run Elle Marketing NI, a Belfast-based digital marketing consultancy I founded in 2015. Both roles sit at the intersection of purpose and business, understanding data and building tools that turn instinct into evidence.
If you could sum up what it’s like being a working mum in tech in one sentence, what would it be?
It's doing the hardest job in the world twice over, and using one to make you better at the other. It’s a constant test of boundaries, resilience and appropriate caffeine consumption!
“It's doing the hardest job in the world twice over, and using one to make you better at the other. It’a constant test of boundaries, resilience and appropriate caffeine consumption!”
How do you find the balance between your career and motherhood?
I don't believe in balance as a fixed state, I believe it's more like navigation. I stopped trying to balance it and started letting each one make me better at the other. Being a mother made me a sharper founder, and building BloomBand.io has made me a more present mum. I’m also a parttime yoga teacher, so that keeps me grounded when things pull in opposite directions.
What has been your greatest challenge as a working mother in tech?
The invisible load of decision making. Tech moves fast and motherhood moves faster. The challenge is staying visible in an industry that still mistakes availability for ambition, while having the packed lunch ready for the morning!
What skills have you developed as a mother that have helped your work life?
Motherhood taught me to make fast decisions with incomplete information, stay calm in chaos, and never underestimate the power of truly listening to someone who can't yet articulate what they need - which, it turns out, is exactly what building a tech product for the parenting market requires.
When you were returning to work, what one thing helped you / would have helped you the most?
Give yourself the permission to redefine what "returning" means. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
That old saying “it takes a village” couldn’t be anymore true. Childcare and flexible hours help, but none of it matters until you stop waiting to feel ready and decide that wanting a career is enough of a reason to go after it.
What do you feel should be the top priority for employers who want to support working mothers better?
Create an environment where no one has to choose between being seen as committed and being present for their family, because right now, too many women are still making that choice every single day, which I believe isn’t fair.
Any final words of advice for other mothers in the Tech Industry?
Find your people who are honest about the hard parts, not just the highlight reel. Your community is everything.
“Find your people who are honest about the hard parts, not just the highlight reel. Your community is everything.”
MotherBoard is a Business Charter, Community & Event Series, driving tangible change for mums working in the tech industry.
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