Reimagining Toy Time: Kim Conti's Vision Behind Orbit Crates EP 118

May 5, 2025

Kim Conti, founder of Orbit Crates and former product and innovation leader, built a toy rental service to cut clutter and promote intentional play. She discusses launching while moonlighting, bootstrapping and bartering to grow, and co-creating toy selections with real families. She also recounts preparing for a pitch competition and plans to find partners and pilots to scale.

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INSIGHT

Product Experience Shapes Co-Creation Approach

Kim's background in product and customer experience across legacy industries informs Orbit Crates' co-creation approach.
Her CPO experience at a conversational AI company gives her technical and analytics mindset for scaling operations.

ANECDOTE

Bold Career Moves Followed Internal Values

Kim made several unconventional career moves like leaving a job mid-COVID and while five months pregnant to pursue meaningful work.
Those choices reflected her internal values and a drive to build something that mattered beyond a traditional ladder.

ANECDOTE

Moonlighting Toy Rental Became A Full Time Leap

Kim started Orbit Crates in 2023 while moonlighting and testing with paid customers in her neighborhood.
She paused the project when work and family overwhelmed her, then fully relaunched and left her job end of 2024 to go all in.

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In this inspiring episode of the HAYVN Hubcast, host Nancy Sheed sits down with Kim Conti, founder of Orbit Crates, a toy rental company focused on reducing clutter and encouraging intentional play. Fresh off her win at the HAYVN Hatch pitch competition, Kim shares her entrepreneurial journey, from corporate innovation to full-time startup founder.

Key Highlights:

Entrepreneurial Spirit from the Start: Kim always had a drive for innovation, even though her career path took her through corporate roles in marketing, customer experience, operations, and product management, including a leadership role at an AI tech company.
Making the Leap: While "moonlighting" Orbit Crates on the side, Kim balanced her career, family, and startup ambitions. Ultimately, she chose to leave her full-time role and go all-in on her business, motivated by deeply held personal values and a strong internal drive to create something meaningful.
Building a Bootstrapped Business: Kim shares the realities of entrepreneurship, from creative bootstrapping and bartering services to tapping into local resources like the CT Women's Business Development Council.
The Orbit Crates Mission: The company's goal is to reduce toy clutter, encourage creativity over consumption, and give parents and kids a better way to manage toys. With around 400 toys in inventory, Orbit Crates is already serving customers and growing.
The Power of Co-Creation: "One of the things I bring from my corporate experience is co-creation, working directly with customers to iterate and improve. Our toy selection, for example, is heavily shaped by real feedback from families using our service" Kim explains
Pitching and Growth: Preparing for the HAYVN Hatch pitch taught Kim how to succinctly share her passion and business value. She's now looking for investors, partners, and pilot customers to help expand Orbit Crates' impact.

Kim's story is a reminder that even with a non-linear career path, determination, creativity, and a values-driven mindset can lead to fulfilling entrepreneurial success.

Connect with Kim and Orbit Crates

Website

Social Media: @OrbitCrates

Connect with Nancy:

Instagram

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