{{Short description|American entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person | name = Fran Maier | birth_name = Fran Allocca<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |last=Krasnow |first=Bruce |date=2016-06-28 |title=Baby gear on demand |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/239139183/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=The Santa Fe New Mexican |pages=B4 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> | birth_place = New Mexico, U.S. | alma_mater = Stanford University (AB, MBA) | occupation = Entrepreneur | years_active = 1994–present | known_for = {{unbulleted list|Match.com (co-founder)|TRUSTe (former president and CEO)|BabyQuip (co-founder and CEO)}} }}
'''Fran Maier''' ({{nee}} '''Allocca''') is an American technology entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder and chief executive officer of BabyQuip, a global marketplace for baby-gear rentals.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Kylie |date=2025-06-29 |title=Two New Mexico businesses reflect on 'Shark Tank' and life beyond |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/two-mexico-businesses-reflect-shark-030600176.html |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=Yahoo News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Firshien |first=Sarah |date=2019-12-17 |title=How to Pack for Children? Leave It to the Experts (Published 2019) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/travel/family-travel.html |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
She previously served as president and chief executive officer of the privacy-focused technology firm TRUSTe. She is also the co-founder of the online dating platform Match.com.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Justin |date=2025-03-14 |title=Breaking barriers: National magazine names two New Mexicans as top female entrepreneurs |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/breaking-barriers-national-magazine-names-190300399.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=Yahoo Finance}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Maier spent her early life in New Mexico and graduated from Santa Fe High School before entering Stanford University, where she earned an AB in public policy in 1984 and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1989.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Stengel |first=Geri |title=Latina Founder Overcame Sexism And Ageism To Raise $8.5 M, Now She Faces VCs Spooked By The Collapse Of SVB |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/geristengel/2023/03/15/latina-founder-skips-male-sexism-and-ageism-by-raising-capital-from-women-investors/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto"/> At a class reunion in 1994 she re-connected with classmate Gary Kremen, a meeting that led directly to her involvement with the founding team of Match.com.<ref name="Mixergy2010">{{cite web |last=Warner |first=Andrew |date=2010 |title=How the Founder of Match.com Lost Her Business (And Went On to Found TRUSTe) |url=https://mixergy.com/interviews/fran-maier-match-truste/ |access-date=16 June 2025 |website=Mixergy}}</ref>
== Career == === Match.com (1994–1998) === Maier joined the nascent Match.com in late 1994. She co-founded the online dating platform in 1995, and under her management, it grew to about 100,000 subscribers across major U.S. cities.
Maier subsequently became Match.com’s director of marketing.<ref name=":3">{{cite news |last1=Angwin |first1=Julia |author-link= |date=February 12, 1998 |title=LOVE'S LABOR LOST Online matchmaker still seeks love, money |url=http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/LOVE-S-LABOR-LOST-Online-matchmaker-still-seeks-3013097.php |access-date=2017-09-28 |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |pages=B3}}</ref> ''The Atlantic'' later noted that she played a key role in shaping the site’s business approach, introducing a subscription model and expanding its reach to varied groups, such as tech professionals and LGBTQ users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kushner |first=David |date=2019-04-06 |title=Recruiting Women to Online Dating Was a Challenge |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/04/how-matchcom-digitized-dating/586603/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref>
=== Women.com and BlueLight.com (1999–2001) === Maier served as chief marketing officer at Women.com and later at Kmart-backed BlueLight.com, overseeing its e-commerce and internet service provider businesses during the dot-com boom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=March |first=Leah |date=2025-08-26 |title=From Match.com to Forbes: Fran Maier's success story |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2025/08/26/new-mexican-to-know-fran-maier.html |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Alburquerque Business First}}</ref>
=== TRUSTe/TrustArc (2001–2014) === In 2001, Maier joined TRUSTe as executive director.<ref name=":3" /> At the time, TRUSTe had recently been recognized by the Federal Trade Commission as a Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Safe Harbor provider and was launching its Children’s Privacy Seal Program. In 2008, during her leadership, TRUSTe transitioned from a nonprofit organization to a venture-backed for-profit company, securing investment from Accel Partners.<ref name="NYT1">{{cite news |author=Hansell |first=Saul |date=2008-07-15 |title=Will the Profit Motive Undermine Trust in Truste? |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/will-profit-motive-undermine-trust-in-truste/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
=== BabyQuip (2016–present) === In 2016, Maier partnered with entrepreneur Kerri Couillard, who had founded the baby-gear rental start-up Babierge, to relaunch the business as a C corporation.<ref name="Pofeldt2017">{{cite web |last=Pofeldt |first=Elaine |date=2017-01-29 |title=This Startup Aims to Take the Pain Out of Traveling with Babies |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/elainepofeldt/2017/01/29/this-startup-aims-to-take-the-pain-out-of-traveling-with-babies/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Krabbe |first=Collin |date=2022-04-28 |title=Baby gear rental startup from Match.com co-founder raises $3 million |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2022/04/santa-fe-startup-babyquip-raises-3-million.html?page=all |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=The Business Journals}}</ref> Together, they co-founded the company and expanded its platform, which allows local providers, referred to as “Quality Providers”, to rent baby gear to travelers.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gollan |first=Doug |date=2022-04-03 |title=BabyQuip Aims To Revolutionize Travel With Young Children |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2022/04/03/babyquip-aims-to-revolutionize-travel-with-young-children/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>
In 2017, Couillard departed the company, and Maier’s son, Joseph Maier, joined as chief technology officer.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> In 2018, the company rebranded from Babierge to BabyQuip.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Firshein |first=Sarah |date=2020-01-12 |title=Leave anxiety behind. Let experts pack for kids. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/838557448 |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |pages=D13 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> By 2023, BabyQuip reported more than 1,500 operating locations and US$8.5 million in capital raised.<ref name=":1" /> In 2024, BabyQuip’s net revenue exceeded $6 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garcia |first=Kylie |date=2025-06-28 |title=Two New Mexico businesses reflect on 'Shark Tank' and life beyond |url=https://www.abqjournal.com/business/article_790735b1-210b-4171-92ae-b80d75fa07bb.html |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Albuquerque Journal |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Maier has two adult sons; her older son, Joseph Maier, serves as BabyQuip’s chief technology officer and appeared with her on ''Shark Tank''.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Andrew |date=2023-10-17 |title=BabyQuip Baby Gear Rental Update {{!}} Shark Tank Season 11 |url=https://sharktankrecap.com/babyquip-baby-gear-rental-update-shark-tank-season-11/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Shark Tank Recap}}</ref>
== Awards and recognition == In 2016, Maier received the Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership Award from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.<ref name="GSB2016">{{cite web |date=2016 |title=20th Annual Latino Leadership Banquet Celebrates GSB Diversity |url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/news-history/20th-annual-latino-leadership-banquet-celebrates-gsb-diversity |access-date=16 June 2025 |website=Stanford Graduate School of Business}}</ref> In 2025, Maier was included in Forbes’s ''50 Over 50: Lifestyle'' list.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGrath |first=Maggie |date=2025-07-30 |title=50 Over 50: Lifestyle |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2025/07/30/50-over-50-lifestyle/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> The same year, she was also included in Inc. magazine’s Female Founders 500 list.<ref name=":2" />
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maier, Fran}} Category:Living people Category:Stanford University alumni Category:American technology company founders Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:American businesswomen Category:American chief executives in technology Category:American businesspeople in technology