In 2015, a little over a year since they tied the knot, Mladen and Milena Djankovic welcomed their first born son. Mladen was busy existing his second startup while Milena was embracing motherhood in all its glory. Intimated but humbled by their new roles, the couple spent many sleepless nights consoling their colicky newborn.
Rocking a baby is essential, but also exhausting. Chairs are big and heavy, bouncers are smaller and portable but require the mom and baby to separate. This is not an option when nursing or comforting a cranky kid. It is this very pain point that motivated Milena to come up with The Ready Rocker, a uniquely shaped rocking device for babies that turns virtually any seating situation into a comfortable, soothing rocker. Milena says that she was surprised that something so synonymous with motherhood—the traditional rocking furniture—had not changed much since its inception. She felt the calling to rework it, much as other baby staples like strollers, car seats, and cribs had been innovated upon for convenience and portability.
Pretty soon, Milena had brought up the idea to her husband. And Milena and Mladen set out to work on innovating and reinventing how the world rocks. The goal was to invent something that would allow them to rock their baby on a surface they could sit on or against. This would free them to rock with the family in shared spaces, in bed, and when traveling such as during hotel stays or in airplanes.
The new parents set out to prototype and test their invention, studying and seeking the benefits of rocking and kinetic motion while tinkering with various materials like air bladders, plastics, foam, and traditional springs. By this time, they already had two kids who would become the couple’s first focus group. Finally, Mladen and Milena Djankovic came up with a rocker that’s built of light, tempered alloy that can withstand over one million reps of rocking while only weighing about as much as a two-liter soda. And the Ready Rocker was born.
Milena and Mladen continue to believe that other parents and caregivers would benefit from the invention, especially highly active parents who live in restricted spaces and travel frequently. They see the act of rocking as a fundamental part of motherhood and parenting, a culturally inclusive activity which has known no boundaries since the beginning of time. The couple finally saw their vision come into fruition with the official forming of RockerMama LLC in 2016.
