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Willow CEO Naomi Kelman on designing tech for women and moms

Gadgets for pregnant women and new mothers are having a moment at this year's CES.

Maybe it's just us, but we feel like we're seeing a lot more gadgets at this year's CES meant for moms: a pregnancy tracker and multiple breast pumps. I wanted to talk to someone about the challenges -- and opportunities -- of designing gadgets for women and mothers. And who better to invite onto the Engadget CES stage than Naomi Kelman, CEO of Willow? You remember Willow: The company stole CES 2017 after unveiling its wireless smart breast pump. The company managed to overcome skepticism from attendees who might have otherwise dismissed the device as just another gimmicky smart gadget -- and who might have also felt some discomfort talking about women's bodily functions.

The device went on to win two official Best of CES awards that year and is now in the hands of 20,000 mothers. Kelman and her team are back at CES this year with a refined second-generation version of the breast pump. She joined me today on stage for a demo, followed by a conversation about what it means to design for women, and what others have gotten wrong in the past.