Chelsea Sybrandt & Amber Rukaj shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Chelsea & Amber, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
As two moms with full-time careers as marriage and family therapists, we’re proud to have turned our dream of Spark Mamas into a successful San Diego business. In our work we’ve seen firsthand how important it is that moms have access to the support they need after birth. Spark Mamas makes it possible for expectant mothers to secure those gifts in advance or know where to go should they need support along the way. The truth is, most mothers don’t get the care they need when they need it most. We wanted to change that by helping moms rethink what they’ll need in those early weeks of motherhood and remind them that they deserve to be cared for just as much as their baby.
Since launching Spark Mamas in 2023 we’ve been struck by how many moms had no idea that certain support services even existed, as well as the honest admission that for many moms, it is hard to spend money on themselves after a baby arrives. That’s why we encourage moms to add Spark Mamas gift cards to their baby registry and why we offer education about how to utilize all of our support services.
What most people don’t see is the behind-the-scenes work involved with every gift we have listed, each provider relationship we have built and the consistent commitment we have to creating a community where mothers, and the providers that care for them, feel seen and supported.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
We’re Amber Rukaj and Chelsea Sybrandt—mothers, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and co-founders of Spark Mamas. We met in 2011 while working at UC San Diego and quickly connected over a shared passion for supporting women through every stage of motherhood.
Amber specializes in women’s reproductive mental health and early childhood (0–5) and co-directs the UCSD Women’s Reproductive Mental Health Program. Chelsea specializes in reproductive mental health and early attachment and is also a Certified Fair Play Facilitator.
Spark Mamas was born in 2018 from the belief that when moms have access to the support and care they need, the whole family benefits. Our website offers meaningful and giftable experiences that are easy to give or receive through purchasing directly or adding them to an existing baby registry. Every gift is from a provider that is personally vetted and all of our business partners are women and family owned. Additionally, with each purchase, we give back to nonprofits supporting families; our current give back recipient is the San Diego Postpartum Health Alliance.
We recently began hosting Together in Practice, a monthly virtual consultation circle for California-based perinatal providers—therapists, doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, OBs, pelvic floor therapists, and more—to share real-world clinical wisdom, case consultation, and connection.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Even with years of experience as therapists in reproductive mental health and the insight gained from creating Spark Mamas, our own postpartum journeys reshaped how we see the world. We were well-prepared, with thoughtful registries and strong clinical knowledge, yet when we welcomed our babies into the world, we found ourselves needing more than the support of partners, family, and friends.
What made the difference were the wise women who had walked this road before us—our physical therapist, lactation consultants, massage therapists, acupuncturists, infant sleep consultants and others—who knew exactly how to meet us in that vulnerable space and to better support us so we could support our children. In their own ways, they helped us regain our footing and mother from a place of empowerment. These experiences reaffirmed what we’ve always known – women caring for women is powerful, necessary, and at the heart of everything we do at Spark Mamas.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, there were definitely times we almost gave up. Spark Mamas was nearly five years in the making—from the first spark of an idea to the launch of our website in 2023. We weathered the challenges of COVID, growing our families, and juggling full-time work. Along the way, we often questioned the pace at which we could bring our business to life and whether the costs of moving forward were worth it because every hour we spent on Spark Mamas meant time away from our kids or our paid work.
Like many entrepreneurs, we questioned if we could keep giving our time and resources to a budding idea, but we kept going because building Spark Mamas brought us joy, aligned with our deepest values, and connected us to a community of people who share our mission.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies we’re committed to dispelling is that mothers should manage motherhood alone because “everyone else seems to be doing it all.” It’s a harmful idea that isolates women, fuels shame, and ignores what we believe at Spark Mamas – that thriving in motherhood requires support and asking for help should be the norm, not the exception.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely. Spark Mamas was built on the kind of work that often goes unseen, much like the invisible labor of motherhood, the impact isn’t always measured in sales, follower counts, or public praise.
We’d give our best to this work regardless, because we know that whenever a mother is supported, her whole family benefits, and that impact extends into communities. Even if no one ever acknowledges it, knowing that one mom may feel less alone, more cared for or a bit more resourced is all the reward we would need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sparkmamas.com
- Instagram: @sparkmamas
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spark-mamas-llc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Spark-Mamas/pfbid0sLUPTgwnr3jtcHxJkAq3Qio8RJTAod3Vo4J6nLty8iuFZP1uu6AnWG4aH5Rku3Xpl/
Image Credits
Emily Thao Photography
