Cooper Munroe is a social media pro who created a marketing-to-moms movement with The Motherhood Inc. As CEO, she has worked with a wide range of Fortune 500 companies, top PR firms and not-for-profits — from Amazon and United Way to Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Costco.
With an impressive network of influential social media moms and dads across the country, The Motherhood merges public relations, word-of-mouth marketing and influencer relations to create new, innovative ways for brands and consumers to connect.
What is your big idea for Pittsburgh?
The legacy of Mister Rogers calls for us to be good neighbors — and as Pittsburghers we are better if we count ourselves as neighbors with all who make up the 90 neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. What a stronger, more closely knit city we would be if each of us made a goal to seek to know and understand communities and neighbors beyond our own block.
What upcoming events are you excited to attend?
Last year I had the incredible experience of attending the Brown Mama Monologues, a series of talks by African American Pittsburgh mothers. Pittsburgh neighbors, please mark your calendars for this year’s Brown Mama Monologues event on May 4 at the Elsie H. Hillman Auditorium in the Hill District. These powerful stories told by the Pittsburgh Brown Mamas are thought-provoking, universal and deeply inspiring.
What is the best part of your job?
The Motherhood team. We’ve been together, for the most part, since almost day one 10 years ago, and each member of the team is so smart, kind, creative and fun. They are among my most favorite humans on earth.
What is a typical work day like for you?
In our space, the industry is so new and our approach is fairly customized; every day is unique. My favorite day includes a bountiful mix of client work, team work, brainstorming, research projects and, whenever possible, mentoring. I really love how we start every morning: Our team gathers to level set for the day and to spend quality time together catching up on what’s ahead. It’s an especially great day when a student or someone starting out stops by the office to learn about our business or lessons learned along the journey so far — those are especially fun and important moments.
What is one exciting and rewarding campaign you are currently working on?
We are about to kick off a program with The Grable Foundation to help Pittsburgh area schools identify and tell their amazing and powerful stories to their communities, district families and to Pittsburgh. There’s much to celebrate in Pittsburgh’s schools, and we’re excited by the potential to create new ways for communities and schools to connect and know each other better through the stories of students, teachers and districts.
What is the one thing that would surprise Pittsburghers most about you?
I come from a long line of members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle.
Write three words to describe Pittsburgh:
My Favorite Town.
Podcast you’re addicted to?
Pod Save America and This American Life.
Favorite Pittsburgh brewery?
The Motherhood’s headquarters is in the former Fort Pitt Brewery building in Sharpsburg, which is next door to the awesome Hitchhiker Brewing Co., so they’re certainly a favorite of ours, along with our other neighbor, Dancing Gnome Brewery. Being able to pick up Leona’s delicious ice cream sandwiches at Hitchhiker is definitely an added bonus.
Ideal date night in Pittsburgh?
It is going to be the new Big Burrito restaurant Alta Via, which opens in March and we cannot wait.
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