The Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund Announces Investment in Moxi

The student-managed Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund at Chicago Booth’s Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation is proud to announce a new investment in Moxi, a tech-enabled platform that offers membership-based childcare centers, blending flexible, high-quality care with coworking and wellness amenities.

The Tarrson Fund is one of the largest student-run impact investment funds in the country, and provides critical catalytic capital to early-stage mission-driven companies. Booth MBA students drive the entire investment cycle—from sourcing and pitching deals to financial and impact diligence and making investment decisions—bringing a diverse range of skill sets and experiences.

This is the Tarrson Fund’s fourth investment, expanding a portfolio that currently includes Harmon Care, Harvest Thermal, and Kadeya. 

Moxi’s vertically integrated, tech-first platform combines brick-and-mortar childcare centers with a digital membership platform. “At Moxi, we’re building a new model for childcare—one that’s flexible, tech-powered, and truly designed around the lives of modern families,” says Cori Fain-Forrest, founder and CEO of Moxi. Their membership-based model unlocks the ability to book childcare at all Moxi sites with unlimited access to onsite coworking and fitness facilities.

The Alabama-based company is looking to address a severely unmet need: childcare. Across the country, seven million families struggle to secure the care they need. The need is particularly prominent in the American South and Alabama, which is often referred to as a childcare desert. This problem also disproportionately affects women caregivers: In Alabama, 45 percent of women who left the workforce cited childcare as a main reason. 

The problem, however, is being recognized on a state level. In 2024, the State of Alabama passed the Alabama Child Care Tax Credit. The law offers up to $600,000 per year in tax credits for businesses supporting employee childcare as well as credits for high-quality providers, which directly supports Moxi’s mission and expansion. This year, the company will launch two on-demand childcare centers with more than 100 childcare spots and plans to open seven locations in the next three years, serving more than 1,000 families and creating 150 jobs.

In July 2025, the Tarrson Fund made a $50,000 seed investment in Moxi. Student investors say they were impressed by the product’s early traction with customers. “Moxi recently launched its flagship childcare center and released its mobile app,” says Lexie Lehmann, deal lead from the Tarrson Fund. “Already, they’ve achieved over 1,700 on-demand bookings, with no signs of slowing down.”

The Tarrson Fund team is also happy to be extending its portfolio beyond the two coasts and narrowing in on smaller markets. “I believe it’s important for investors to look beyond coastal markets and find smart entrepreneurs in the “flyover” states who are solving local problems with global potential,” says Lehmann. “Having worked in Birmingham, [Alabama,] before, I knew there were incredible founders—like Moxi’s Cori Fain-Forrest—building impressive companies and reaching significant milestones ahead of schedule. Birmingham founders are doing a lot more with much less, which makes for a great investment opportunity and a chance for impact.”

Moxi’s upward momentum, coupled with the recent legislative action, leaves the company in a prime position for growth. 

“I’m excited to grow our network of on-demand centers, expand our technology, and continue proving that care infrastructure isn’t just a social need—it’s a transformative market opportunity,” says Fain-Forrest.