Kelly Corrigan Wonders Deep Dive with Laura Modi on Trusting Yourself
Mar 3, 2026
Laura Modi, co-founder and CEO of Bobbie and mom-turned-founder who rebuilt infant formula from personal pain. She recounts discovering corn syrup in U.S. formulas, the 2022 supply crisis that forced customer-first choices, why she bought domestic manufacturing, and how caregiving experience reshapes product and policy.
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Mastitis Moment That Sparked Bobby
- Laura Modi experienced blistering, bleeding nipples and mastitis five days into motherhood and felt shame and isolation when seeking help.
- A lactation consultant's harsh comment (“those nipples are ugly”) stuck with her and helped spark Bobby to normalize feeding choices and reduce stigma.
U.S. Formula Standards Are Decades Behind
- Laura went down a “mini PhD” rabbit hole and discovered U.S. infant formula standards lag decades behind Europe, with ingredients like corn syrup common a decade ago.
- She realized formula is food, not just pharma, and that U.S. standards hadn't meaningfully updated since the 1980s while Europe updated in 2019.
Supply Concentration Created National Fragility
- The 2022 shortage revealed extreme supply concentration: one plant shutdown threatened ~30% of U.S. babies' food supply.
- Laura concluded systemic fragility requires domestic manufacturing diversity and ownership of production to build resilience.