Aiming to make an impact on period poverty, three members of the tri-campus community came together to start a period product subscription service called “Monthlies.” Launched in September by Jenny DeMarco, Jonathan DeMarco and Katie Cole, the small business offers 16 different products that are shipped to their customers on a monthly basis.
“Last summer, my brother Jonathan was set on the idea of creating a startup. Jonathan, Katie and myself had been brainstorming most of the summer and writing down various ideas,” Notre Dame alum Jenny DeMarco ’21 said. “Then I believe one day Katie was on her period when the thought occurred to her about how inconvenient the entire process was and that a subscription service would be much more convenient.”
Customers can subscribe or place a one-time order by visiting the Monthlies website which can be found on their Instagram page. Subscribers have the option to choose both the mix of products and the frequency of delivery.
“Each customer is able to choose whatever amount of each product they would like. We provide the average facts and then our customers can figure out what works best for them based on that,” Holy Cross graduate Katie Cole ‘22 said.
By launching Monthlies, the team hopes to destigmatize conversations related to menstruation, as well as increase the accessibility of period products, particularly for college students.
“We aim to make premium menstrual products affordable and accessible to people from all walks of life, regardless of their financial status. Additionally, my goal is to contribute to normalizing conversations around menstruation, challenging the taboo associated with periods,” junior computer science major Jonathan DeMarco said.
One of Monthlies’ core values is their commitment to providing premium products at the cheapest possible price. They also offer free shipping to all tri-campus students who use the code “sbfreeship” at checkout, and 15% off for any student nationwide.
“We believe in using name brand products, so that our customers are receiving quality products,” Cole said. “The four brands we currently sell are Always, Tampax, Playtex and U by Cortex.”
Despite conducting most of their research and planning on their own, the team said they have also made use of Notre Dame’s IDEA Center.
“The IDEA Center has been super helpful. We got to meet with their economics expert who was able to help us get the specific vocabulary we need. We are also able to use some of their funding for advertising,” Cole said.
While each member of the Monthlies team spends approximately 10 hours per week working on the project, they each have their own roles and responsibilities.
“Jonathan coded and designed the entire website and oversees other logistics such as shipping and credit card processing. Katie is our social media manager and visionary. She does almost our entire social media. I am the marketing analyst and sales professional. My main focus is the marketing research behind the scenes,” Jenny DeMarco said.
Cole and Jonathan DeMarco also personally deliver packages to those in the tri-campus community.
As a male working on a menstruation-related project, Jonathan DeMarco has found the experience to be incredibly eye-opening.
“Understanding the challenges women face during menstruation, especially the financial aspect, has been humbling,” Jonathan DeMarco said. “Working with two fantastic female colleagues has given me valuable insights, shaping my approach to supporting women in practical ways.”
The team is hoping to partner with other U.S. universities in the near future in order to provide free, quality products in campus bathrooms.
“We want to make premium period products more accessible. I mean who really likes using cardboard tampons?” Jenny DeMarco said.
Currently, the team is prioritizing advertising on social media and in the South Bend area. They have been in contact with several female dorms at both Notre Dame and Holy Cross, and are working on developing relationships with apartment complexes such as The 87.
“All in all, the experience has been very fun and a really interesting venture because there are a lot of things I didn’t even think of. At this point, working on Monthlies has become second nature,” Cole said.
