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Congratulations to Penny Bauder, Winner of Entrepreneur's 'Build Like a Woman' Contest The founder of Green Kids Crafts -- a subscription box service that delivers monthly STEAM kits -- truly inspired us.

By Patrick Carone

Green Kids Crafts

Congratulations to Penny Bauder, winner of Entrepreneur's "Build Like a Woman" contest! This working mom/environmental scientist founded Green Kids Crafts, a subscription box service that delivers monthly STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, & math) kits.

The contest gave female business owners the chance to share with our audience the inspiration behind their business. Here's how Penny was inspired:

I'm Penny, a busy mom of two spunky kids. I grew up in meager circumstances "out in the country" in Michigan, where I was the first of my extended family to ever graduate with a college degree. I now live in a house on the outskirts of San Diego, CA, where I can often be found taking care of the 15+ animals on our "urban farm." I'm also the founder of a company called Green Kid Crafts, a cash-flow positive, bootstrapped company run by a staff of working parents with yearly revenue over $1.5M.

Green Kid Crafts delights thousands of kids each month with STEAM activities delivered to them through my company's subscription program. I started GKC in 2011 -- pre-Birch Box, before most people had heard of subscription boxes -- as a way to stay at home with my children while continuing to work in the world. Through GKC, I am able to marry my environmental ethics with creativity and share this experience with kids. Each box is filled with up to six STEAM activities related to a common learning theme -- think Arctic, Rainforest, Art Lab -- and designed to spark creativity and cultivate respect for the planet. We've won numerous awards for our products and responsible business practices.

We've now delivered over 1 million inspirational packages to kids all over North America. I believe that science and art are unifying, and it's my company's mission to help raise the next generation of creative leaders.

Penny will receive a prize package including a variety of Sudara clothes -- all made by women -- a Build Like a Woman digital course, and a mentor session with "Build Like a Woman" founder Kathleen Griffith.

Follow Green Kids Crafts on Instagram and Facebook.

Thanks for the inspiration, Penny!

Patrick Carone

Entrepreneur Staff

Special Projects Director

Patrick Carone covers all aspects of entrepreneurship, specializing in the automotive, entertainment, hospitality, spirits and cannabis industries.

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