LIFE

Bulky baby gear turns Carmel mom into entrepreneur

Cara Anthony

Meredith Worniak, shown here with her daughter Natalie and son Henry, co-founded Cossettie with her sister Rebecca Cutler in 2012.

Meredith Worniak decided — two kids ago — that her diaper bag didn't have to be weighed down, heavy or bulky.

The Carmel mom carried the stuff most moms do (bibs, changing mats, bottle caps, seat covers), but she longed for smaller, more compact versions of her diaper bag must-haves.

That's how Cossettie was born.

In 2012 with $15,000 and some ingenuity, Worniak and her sister Rebecca Cutler created a line of compact bibs, changing mats and shopping cart and high chair covers. Cossettie products have grabbed the attention of moms and retailers nationwide. About a dozen stores sell their products, and they inked a deal with Kohls.com.

"We saw a gap in the baby gear market," Worniak said. "We were able to turn that into an opportunity to create compact yet very functional and easy-to-use products that make life easier and cleaner for moms, dads and even grandparents, too, that are on the go."

Since starting the company, they've added new color options to the product line, which ranges in price from $5.99 to $12.99.

Kohls.com is selling a Cossettie set for $24.99. Both the high chair-cover and changing mat are included.

Worniak, a former digital marketing manager, operates the business out of her Carmel home. She stopped working in 2013 to focus on being a mom and managing Cossettie. The sisters are both graduates of North Central High School and Purdue University.

Cutler, who is also a mom of two, works as a care coordinator in California.

"I am passionate about Cossettie and our baby products because as a mom that travels a lot, having compact, easy to wash and use products is essential," Cutler said.

The company's changing mat earned a seal of approval from the National Parenting Center in 2014. Cossettie's high chair cover was named a top choice by Baby Maternity Magazine last year.

"Cosset means to coddle or treat with over tender care," she said. "We just added the "tie" to it to make it cute. All of our products are made to keep kids clean."

Call Star reporter Cara Anthony at (317) 444-6049. Follow her on Twitter: @CaraRAnthony.