Mary Couzin - People of Play (POP): Rachele, congratulations on your promotion to Chief Product Officer at CrunchLabs! What does this new role mean to you?

Rachele Harmuth (RH): Thank you! When I first joined CrunchLabs, I knew I’d found a place where creativity and engineering could come together to inspire kids and adults alike. Becoming Chief Product Officer means I get to keep scaling that vision, guiding not just the “what” we build, but the “why” and “how.”  And the best part? It’s the only job I know where a slingshot, glitter, fart spray, and a whiteboard marker are equally important tools.

MC: You’ve had a big career through some major companies. What drew you to the startup CrunchLabs in the first place?

RH: Impact. We turn curiosity into confidence. Kids build real STEM skills, because learning feels like play. At the heart of it, I want to make things that matter. CrunchLabs is more than toys or kits. It’s this powerful mix of science, storytelling, and play that builds creative confidence. Kids don’t just follow steps, they hack, they invent, they surprise themselves. That’s a skill set for life. Plus, I loved the boldness of the mission: “reach as many brains as possible.” Most companies measure success on things like “shareholder value.” We measure them by how many “brains” we reach. In fact, in our latest survey we asked our subscribers about whether their child “gained a new passion for STEM and engineering”, and 75% have a noticeable increase. So, I know I’m in the right place!

MC: You often describe the “magic” of CrunchLabs. What do you mean by that?

RH: For me, the magic of CrunchLabs is that it lives right at the nexus of the three big E’s: Entertainment, Education, and Experience. Entertainment makes it fun, education makes it meaningful, and experience makes it unforgettable. We start with WOW, cinematic storytelling and joyful builds, so the HOW sticks. Learning sneaks in while they laugh and experiment, using the same engineering mindset our team uses daily.

Taking charge of the Experience pillar feels like the culmination of my career. Everything I’ve done over the past 30 years, whether launching toys, shaping brands, or learning from my own spectacular mistakes, has taught me that the magic is about creating moments that truly stick with people. At CrunchLabs, it all comes together. It’s not just what kids build, but how they feel while they’re building it. That’s where the goosebumps are.

MC: So, what’s on the horizon for CrunchLabs?

RH: We will keep shipping millions of boxes direct to homes while expanding to retail stores, aiming to own the STEM aisle. We won’t stop there. We are developing a curriculum for classrooms, while pushing bigger builds, bigger experiments, and more ways to get kids excited about science. This isn’t just a toy company. It’s a movement.

Class CrunchLabs, under the leadership of Tara Graham, will bring comprehensive science curriculum to schools. We’re taking everything we’ve learned about how to keep kids glued to a 12-minute YouTube video and applying it directly to classrooms. Imagine the science class where you’re bummed when the bell rings, yeah, that’s the goal.

Second, we’re expanding in entertainment. With Scott Lewers at the helm, we’ve just inked a deal with Netflix for original programming, set to premiere the same season our Moose Toys product line launches at retail. It’s all one big engaging STEM ecosystem.

MC: How do you make sure all those lines stay cohesive as CrunchLabs scales?

RH: It comes down to brand DNA. Whether it’s a robot, a toy, a classroom curriculum, or a streaming show, it should feel like something you can’t wait to show a friend. And we hold every product up against our three goals: Does it spark curiosity, embrace failure, and build creative confidence? If it doesn’t check all three boxes, it’s back to the drawing board… usually with a lot of coffee.

MC: Outside of CrunchLabs, you founded the non-profit MESH Helps. How does that connect with your work here?

RH: CrunchLabs let’s me put the ideas on MESH into action. MESH Helps is all about building core MESH skills through play. We’re giving kids tools to try, fail, try again, solve problems, and feel proud of themselves. Whether it’s through a subscription box or a You Tube video, the end goal is the same: curious, confident, resilient kids.

MC: What excites you most about the future?

RH: Honestly, the chance to touch people’s lives at different stages. A kid might start with one of our younger boxes, graduate into robotics, discover a love of tinkering, then bump into us again in their classroom—or on Netflix. We’re building an ecosystem where no matter where you encounter us, you feel that spark of curiosity. And with the expansion we’ve got planned, those sparks are about to fly everywhere.

MC: Last question—if you had to sum up your vision as Chief Product Officer in one line, what would it be?

RH: To engineer resilience and joy at scale. Because if kids learn to problem-solve, bounce back from failure, and still have a smile on their face,that’s not just play, that’s how we change the world.

MC: It is - 100%! Thank you, Rachele, for carving out time for this interview!