Hi, I’m Gretchen.
I notice the small things...and often wonder how they could work differently.
Mother | Founder | Inventor | Community Builder
About Gretchen | A little logic. A little creativity. A lot of curiosity.
With a degree in mathematics and a minor in studio art, I always knew I saw things from a unique perspective.
Math taught me to look for patterns, structure, and the relationships between things. Art taught me to look again—to consider another perspective, imagine what isn't there yet, and recognize that there can be more than one way to see the same thing.
That combination has followed me throughout my professional life, through operations, project management, client success, recruitment marketing, and relationship-building. Different roles, different industries, but often the same instinct underneath them: figure out how something works, notice where it doesn't, and wonder what could work better.
Then came motherhood—and I found myself learning what raising a neurodivergent family meant. It was filled with navigating therapies, IEPs, school systems, sensory needs, routines, advocacy, and an extraordinary amount of information that didn't always seem to connect.
But eventually, patterns began to emerge for me. Gaps became visible. Problems we'd quietly accepted as normal became questions. And ideas from seemingly unrelated parts of life began connecting in unexpected ways.
That may be the thread running through everything I build today.
The Small Elephant grew from seeing opportunities to better serve neurodivergent families. The patent-pending Luma Timer began with a question about why something as constant as time has to remain so abstract. RISE Society came from wondering whether women's networking could be built around genuine relationships rather than transactions. And my affirmation products, and new ideas continue to grow from that same place.
On paper, those things might look unrelated. To me, they're anything but.
What She's Up To
So...what am I building now?
The Small Elephant
The Small Elephant supports parents raising neurodivergent children through practical tools, thoughtful guidance, and meaningful community. From the patent-pending Luma Timer™ to The Elephant Path™ and The Elephant Circle™, we're building ways to help parents make sense of what they're navigating, find their footing, and build support that works in real life—for themselves and their families.
Small observations. Small choices. Small reminders. Small moments. Repeated over time leads to big changes. The Small Elephant.
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A patent-pending sensory-aware visual timer that makes the passage of time visible, helping transitions feel more predictable and independence easier to build. Because time shouldn't have to be one more invisible thing we're expected to keep track of.
A women's networking community built on a simple idea: relationships shouldn't be transactional. RISE brings entrepreneurs, professionals, business owners, and leaders together to learn from one another, build genuine connections, and create the kind of relationships that help all of us grow.
Small physical reminders of ideas worth carrying with us—placed in the world around us so we don't have to carry them in our already-full minds. Because the little things we say to ourselves and to one another, repeated over time, can add up to something much bigger.
In the Press
"I love your invention. You're on to something and I think it's going to be great."
Sharon Jordan, Owner of The LEEAP Center
"What an amazing creation that can be used not just for kids with special needs but I have ADHD and I'm so excited this exists!"
Rachel Maddox Loback, Owner of Rachel's Floors
"So encouraged by these reminders. Thanks!"
Meli Alness, Owner of Freedom Fibers