Have your children ever come home from school, only two months into the school year, complaining that they’re bored with their brand new lunch box and they absolutely need a new one?  An Akron, Ohio stay-at-home Mom came up with an environmentally friendly alternative to the standard plastic lunch box that is sure to hold every kid’s attention through the academic year.
 
Each morning, Kristi Thomas spent a few moments adding a special touch to her daughter’s school snack and lunch bags.  Some days, it was a love note or words of encouragement.  Other days, it was a brainteaser, joke or fun fact.  Whatever the theme, Kristi always took the time to handprint it, along with some cool artwork, on a simple brown lunch bag.

The decorative bags quickly became a hit with her daughter’s classmates.  “Kids are always asking for my lunch bags when I’m done with them, Mom or they take them right out of the trash can!” exclaimed the young Thomas.  As children and parents began requesting their own sets, Kristi experienced a “Light Bulb Moment.”  She hired a patent attorney, outlined a business plan and dove into the family’s nest egg.  Then, with the support of her techy-savvy husband, Kristi proudly launched LuNcHoLOgy®.

Today, LuNcHoLOgy® has created more than 1,000 themed bag sets targeted towards children of all ages, as well as adult brown-baggers.  Made from recycled paper and printed with non-toxic soy-based ink, LuNcHoLOgy® Lunch Bags are compostable and biodegradable.  Original Illustrations and facts are printed on one side of each bag, while space is allocated for a child’s name, room number and teacher’s name on the other.  Topics span the gamut, from foreign languages to grosser-than-gross tidbits and sports trivia.  The interesting facts and figures entice children so much, that they are learning when they don’t even realize it!  Of course, LuNcHoLOgy® Lunch Bags also serve an additional purpose.  They can help children weather a variety of different school days or just give them a dose of home in the middle of the day, when they need it most.

Since LuNcHoLOgy launched onto store shelves in March 2004, the business that began its manufacturing in the Thomas home has quickly gained momentum, appealing to a wide audience from Parents and Teachers to upscale food market and gift store buyers across the country.  In about one year, LuNcHoLOgy® has made its way, from product launch at The West Point Market, to 100+ stores across the country.  Recently, Ladies Who Launch (LWL) (www.ladieswholaunch.com) featured LuNcHoLOgy® on their website and chose LuNcHoLOgy® for a Case Study that published in October of 2005.  This Case Study will be used as both a Classroom and Incubator Teaching model on “Start-Up Companies.”  LWL has published only 2 Case Studies prior to LuNcHoLOgy and their next one will be on Baby Einstein Founder, Julie Aigner-Clark.  LuNcHoLOgy® is in Really Great Company. With a product line to follow in the summer of 2006, LuNcHoLOgy® clearly is a “Big Hit!” 

Sometimes, it’s hard for Kristi, husband Chris and daughter Madison, to believe that – by combining one crazy idea with a lot of love and plenty of hard work – LuNcHoLOgy® was born.