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By Michelle Crowe
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP
STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA
HAIR AND MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST
Brittany wears a top and skirt by Valentino from Neiman Marcus in her Hinsdale kitchen.
If you’ve clocked any cardio time in the past 15 or so years, thank Brittany Hizer for making the experience more connected, safer, and as enjoyable as it can be. Brittany, a product development star, designed premium treadmills, cross-trainers and exercise bikes found in health clubs and fitness centers around the world. After graduating from the Kellogg School of Management, she pivoted from fitness to fishing and was the president of Crestliner Boats.
After leaving her successful career in the corporate world, Brittany was introduced to Addie Guntry, a cookbook author and food and beverage designer who has written for Martha Stewart Living and appeared on the Food Network.
Addie had a patented idea for a better changing table. Once these two powerhouse women met, they began prototyping, developing product plans, and introducing business owners and operators to the idea of a better changing table.
“We had both had terrible experiences trying to change our babies in public restrooms. With the increased focus that 2020 brought to the importance of protecting families from germs, we threw ourselves into changing the table,” Hizer says.
Pluie is the world’s first and only self-sanitizing diaper changing table. Close it after use and two
UV-C lights go to work eliminating 99.9% of bacteria and viruses in just one minute. Cleanliness is paramount, but Pluie goes beyond sanitation to consider baby and caregiver. A large surface, easy-open design, and retractable security strap enhance the experience of using the table. These product development pros considered every detail.
It’s not easy to upend a category that has had a single supplier for 40 years, but Pluie is well on its way.
IWS Family Health Center, which many area women support through various chapters of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago Auxiliary, installed the very first Pluie changing table. Clients of the center love that their babies are safe and secure.
Today, Pluie tables are found in the Starbucks at Washington Street and Hinsdale Avenue in Hinsdale, the Indianapolis International Airport, and Guaranteed Rate Field.
Brittany and Addie appeared on an episode of Shark Tank in 2023. “It was an incredible experience. You film not knowing if your segment will ever air. They shoot about 150 segments and then 90 air. We found out about two weeks before our original air date that our segment was a part of the season,” Hizer shares. The five sharks passed on investing, but the phone rings and the emails ding every time the episode re-airs and those who design shopping centers, amusement parks, and restaurants see the vision and the value of having safer, more comfortable changing tables in their men’s and women’s restrooms.
That’s not the brand’s only television appearance either. Pluie was an answer on the quiz show Jeopardy!
Also in 2023, Pluie introduced a consumer product, The Pluie Pret Changing Clutch. This compact, stylish, and machine-washable diaper changing mat is made for modern parents and caregivers who expect the best while on-the-go. With a contemporary mom-inspired design that uses handcrafted neoprene-like material, Pret is soft, durable, and easily cared for, providing babies a cleaner and more comfortable changing experience than other mats on the market.
“We’re not a one-product brand. We’ve always planned for a full range of products, consumer as well as commercial and The Pret was a great way to enter the market. It’s a little piece of Pluie,”
Hizer says, adding, “We first partnered with The Beaufort Bonnet Company and have since collaborated with Clover Baby & Kids.”
The latest launch is the Pluie Teether, made with soft silicone and natural birch wood.
Brittany’s days are filled with venture capital meetings, product iterations, and customer meetings. She moved to Hinsdale from Chicago with her husband and son two years ago and whole family is thriving in the community. “It’s so nice to each have a proper office, we love our neighborhood and the schools are great,” Hizer says. The Community House has been a great resource for family fun, as has the Hinsdale Public Library. This busy entrepreneur can be spotted at Toni’s Patisserie and FedEx in Hinsdale or checking in on Pluie Pret sales at Little Charm in La Grange.
She takes full advantage of opportunities to connect with other professionals in the area. “I’ve met so many female founders here in Hinsdale. It’s inspiring how many women and men here are changing industries and working to make life better for people.”
Like the leader she is, Brittany is also instrumental in mentoring the next generation. “Last summer both of our interns were graduates of Hinsdale Central. They did a phenomenal job, and I hope they learned a lot,” Hizer says.
Going from corporate life to the heavy lift of a start-up, especially a product-driven new concept, can’t be easy, but this kind and gracious woman makes it look as though it is. What a joy it is to have this mompreneur innovating among us.
