NEW YORK, NY
MY NEW YORK STORY LYSS STERN, MOMPRENEUR By Bailey Beckett
or Lyss Stern, this one is personal. A well-known, parent-focused entrepreneur on the Upper East Side, the forty-something mother contracted COVID last spring and has spent the last year recovering from its effects. As a long hauler, she still suffers symptoms even though she’s technically recovered. Days are filled with exhaustion. Headaches. Longwindedness. And her sense of taste has still not returned. But rather than wallow in grief, Stern has used her experience as inspiration to start two new business ventures with roots in COVID. The first is a mask design set for children called Kadoodle Kids. Her latest is a gift box set for people still suffering from an illness called Chamama. “Contracting COVID was a life-changing experience, which I’m still experiencing,” said Stern. “It showed me how fragile life is. And not just health-wise, but how you live your day to day: routines, habits, obligations. Everything went out the window. There’s no aspect of my business and industry that hasn’t been affected.” 78 | OUR CITY, YOUR LIFE | MAY 2021
Lyss Stern
