Made in Tarrant: Fort Worth App Focuses on Revolutionizing Cash Gifting for Kids

Editor’s Note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series about small businesses founded in Tarrant County. Submit your business Here.

David and Natalia Bernal are the founders of Fort Worth-based YoorKids, a social gifting app that focuses on building a child’s investment account through personalized gifts and contributions from family and friends.

YoorKids is currently a client of TechFW, a nonprofit that helps Fort Worth entrepreneurs start and grow new technology companies.

Contact details:

Website: https://www.yoorkids.com/

Phone: : 469-515-5134

Instagram: @YourKids

Facebook: @YourKids

David and Natalia Bernal contributed a post to the Fort Worth Report about the history of YoorKids, its business model and why the couple was inspired to launch it. This post has been edited for clarity, grammar, and length.

Fort Worth Report: Tell us about your company and how it was founded.

David and Natalia Bernal: The idea for YoorKids came about shortly after we had our first child, when we were living far away from family. When it came to birthdays, holidays and milestones, our family and friends would kindly send toys to not only celebrate these events but also to bond with our child. As our little daughter opened gift after gift, she would play with some of them, but the boxes they came in were always her favorite.

At the time, we had set up a savings account for the kids, but we were the only ones putting money into it. We realized that was because putting money in was a cumbersome process. There was no emotional connection because it came as a bank transfer—our child had no idea that it had ever happened.

Then we realized we could solve both of these problems by offering people a cash contribution as an alternative to toys and other gifts – but we needed the right concept.

Our idea came about when a close friend gave our older daughter, who had just turned 2, a silver duck-shaped piggy bank. Soon she started putting coins into her duck-shaped piggy bank and taking it to the ice cream machine for her favorite chocolate vanilla bar. We realized that if we could digitize this concept, the digital coin could become an instant gift, and the deposit into the child’s account a real gift. In 2023, David resigned from his position as Senior International Sales Manager and Natalia joined him. YoorKids is self-financed.

Fort Worth Report:What makes what you do unique and different from what other organizations do?

David and Natalia Bernal: We all know that there are other ways to send money, whether it is a money transfer, bank deposit or cash. While all of these methods serve their purpose, they do not feel personal and often the child does not even know who sent the money. YoorKids offers a way to send money and also build a bond between the child and the donor through our digital coins.

Donors can choose the amount they want to give and create a coin that includes photos, videos, and personal messages. The child receives the coin in our app, and the parent decides which financial account the money goes to, whether it’s a 529 plan (college savings), a trust account, a regular checking account, or savings.

Fort Worth Report: What is the most important lesson you have learned since starting your own business?

David and Natalia Bernal:The most important lesson we have learned is transition. Going from a comfortable life to an entrepreneurial life with an uncertain income; from a position in a specific department to a constantly changing position; and turning an idea into a functioning business.

Any change is incredibly difficult. It involves managing multiple components and requires constant adaptation and learning. This journey has taught us resilience and the importance of staying focused on our mission to make a significant impact on children’s financial futures.

Fort Worth Report: What do you like most about what you do?

David and Natalia Bernal: We believe that if we do it right, we can make children’s dreams come true. Our favorite part of building this business is when we meet people who understand how valuable this app can be to the special child in their life.

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