mother of invention
Bainbridge entrepreneur simplifies breast milk storage
Words by Linda Kramer Jenning
Ceres Chill founder Lisa Myers and son Colin (Photo: Olivia O'Keefe)
You’ve heard that necessity is the mother of invention. It’s certainly true for Lisa Myers, who came up with the idea for an innovative product now making life easier for new moms around the world.
As a young mother, Myers struggled with how to store the breast milk she pumped while at work or traveling. Lugging around a cooler was cumbersome and often couldn’t keep the milk cold for long enough. She also disliked filling up wasteful plastic bottles with breast milk. She figured there had to be a better way.
Prompted by her own needs and what she believed must be a necessity for other nursing mothers, this Bainbridge Island mom invented the “OG Breastmilk Chiller”—a thermos that women pump directly into and can safely store breast milk for up to 20 hours.
Myers launched her company, Ceres Chill, in January of 2020, earning $90,000 in revenue the first year. She projects that in its fifth year, the company will hit over $12 million in revenue.
“We like to see that sort of growth, but it indicates how neglected pumping moms have been. Moms put their heads down and endured. Pumping is relentless and there are endless challenges. The Chiller shows women a path forward,” says Myers, who was working as a lawyer in Seattle when she started Ceres Chill (Ceres being the Roman goddess of crops, fertility and motherhood).
Myers, whose children are now 9 and 5, grew up on a hay and cattle farm near Spokane. After working for Senator Patty Murray, she put herself through law school at night at Rutgers University and worked as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia before moving to Bainbridge Island and joining the firm of Cozen O’Connor. When she had her babies and returned to the firm’s Seattle office, she struggled with pumping and storing breast milk during long days at work and the travel her job required.
“I realized I needed a thermos. It seemed so obvious. I couldn’t believe they didn’t exist,” she says. She began to doodle a concept of what one might look like and brainstormed with her ferrymates on the daily commute to Seattle. “I credit this space,” she says, of living in the West Sound region. “There is something in the air. I’ve never invented anything before.”
Meyers submitted her thermos doodle to secure a patent and found engineers and designers to turn her concept into a marketable product. The result is a two-chambered durable stainless steel container—one chamber for ice and one for milk. It can also be used to warm milk by adding hot water to the outer chamber, and its cap can be converted into a bottle with an accompanying nipple. To extend the life of the product and avoid adding to the landfill, the Chiller can be repurposed as a regular thermos.
Despite its launch during the pandemic, OG Breastmilk Chiller was an immediate success, with sales soaring from both the website (cereschill.com) and Amazon. Myers retired as a managing partner from Cozen O’Connor in 2022 to run Ceres Chill full time from an office in Rolling Bay. She has a staff of eight working remotely around the country.
A military spouse (married to Sgt. Richard Warner, who currently serves at Lewis-McChord Joint Base), Myers offers first responders, essential workers and military families 20 percent off of Ceres Chill products. She also set up a “Hero Moms” program that awards one Chiller per week to a U.S. mom who’s been nominated for breastfeeding while working in particularly demanding role. Hero Moms have included ICU nurses and paramedics.
Through that program and the Ceres Chill blog, Myers also has created a lively network of nursing moms who share tips and problem-solve together. “We’ve grown into a caring community of moms who inspire each other,” says Myers.
Just for moms
Nurturing Expressions: a Poulsbo boutique for nursing and pumping supplies with a free, drop-in support group.
Mom’s Morning Retreat: A peer support group that meets twice a month. Childcare provided.
Nurturing the Sisterhood: Clinical therapy for mothers offering workshops and online guidance.
Luna Circle: monthly peer-support for pregnant and postpartum folks on Bainbridge Island.
La Leche League: a breastfeeding support organization that meets regularly in Poulsbo and Silverdale.