Describe your product in 3 words.

cool, comfortable,compact

How did you come up with the idea for this product?

About three years ago now, my family and I were on a vacation and while sitting at a coffee shop, noticed all of these chic men and women riding bikes to work with plastic bags covering their seats. I was so interested to notice that these people put so much thought into what they were wearing, but no thought into how to protect their bums from their seats. With a background in PR and Marketing, I wondered how we could create something that was aesthetically pleasing while still serving a purpose. As an avid spinner, I too wanted something to express my personal style but also give the added comfort to my spin seat. I got together with my two friends Hal Ebbott and Colin Touhey who are product designers, and a prototype was made. We launched in October of 2014 with a non-padded, waterproof, patterned bike seat cover and then launched our padded bike seat in July 2015.

What makes your product special?

CitySeat is the only padded, patterned, foldable bike seat on the market right now. There is no one doing what we do as well as we do it. Our seat is made in America and is really amazing quality with fabric from Milan. The waterproofing helps when you're outside and the seat is wet, and the patterns make it fun. You can wash the seat and reuse it, and it doesn't hurt that it folds up quite small to throw in your gym bag.

What has been the best part of your startup experience?

The best part of my startup experience has been learning and seeing what I worked so hard for come to fruition. Creating a startup is not as glamorous as it seems, but the first time I walked into a spin class and saw someone I did not know, a perfect stranger, spinning with a CitySeat made it all worth it and I continue to get that feeling every time we're in the press or someone I know calls and says they saw someone using a CitySeat in Denver or San Francisco, it's just as exciting every time. Starting from the beginning and learning new things, meeting new people, and having new experiences just makes the job that much better.