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After identifying a gap between families seeking dependable childcare and students looking for flexible work, Sydelle Bernstein’26 founded Students Who Sit, a trusted childcare marketplace built around the communities people already know.
In conversation with Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Duke I&E), Sydelle shares what she's learned about entrepreneurship, building through uncertainty, and why curiosity continues to guide her journey.
TELL US ABOUT STUDENTS WHO SIT. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START IT?
Students Who Sit is a trusted childcare marketplace that connects families with vetted student caregivers through the communities they already know and trust.
Rather than matching parents with complete strangers, we're rebuilding childcare around existing community ties – starting with universities.
The idea came from my own experience at Duke. I babysat for several faculty families and saw firsthand how difficult it was for parents to find reliable, last-minute childcare, even within such a connected community. At the same time, I knew countless responsible students who wanted flexible work but had no easy way to connect with those families.
Today, we've facilitated more than 1,500 childcare bookings at Duke, and we're now preparing to expand to universities across the country.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FOUNDER'S JOURNEY
I've always been the type of person who notices problems and wants to understand them, not just accept them. Starting a company was never the goal. I just couldn't stop thinking about this issue, and when I realized there wasn't a solution that addressed it the way I believed it should, I decided to build one.
I spent countless hours trying to understand the problem as deeply as I could, talking to parents, students, university administrators, childcare experts, and anyone willing to share their perspective.
Over the past two years, I've learned that entrepreneurship is far less about having all the answers and much more about being willing to ask questions, test assumptions, and continuously adapt.
I've gone from building our first MVP with no-code tools to fundraising, hiring a team, managing engineers, and preparing for national expansion. The journey has been incredibly challenging, but also the most rewarding learning experience I could ever dream of.
HOW HAS THE DUKE I&E NETWORK SUPPORTED YOU ON YOUR STARTUP PATH?
From courses that challenged me to think like a founder, especially New Ventures Develop, New Ventures Deliver, and Entrepreneurial You, to mentors who pushed my thinking and funding opportunities that helped us continue building, Duke created an environment where entrepreneurship felt accessible.
The Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs program, the Frank Borchardt Undergraduate Prize Fund, and the broader Duke I&E ecosystem gave me both financial support and confidence that this was a problem worth solving. More importantly, they trusted and believed in me to solve it.
Perhaps most importantly, Duke I&E gave me an incredible community of other student founders and builders who understand the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Having people who celebrate your wins while also helping you work through setbacks made an enormous difference for me.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF BEING A FOUNDER, AND HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT?
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One of the most challenging parts of being a founder is that there is no roadmap. Every day brings new problems you've never solved before, and many of the decisions feel incredibly high stakes.
I've learned that the best way to navigate that uncertainty is by staying relentlessly curious and asking for help.
I've also realized that progress rarely comes from making one perfect decision. It comes from making thoughtful decisions, sometimes even making the wrong decisions, learning quickly, and being willing to change course and adapt.
WHAT WERE YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM DUKE I&E, AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ASPIRING FOUNDERS?
I'd encourage aspiring founders not to wait until everything feels perfect or until it feels like the "right time."
Launch earlier than you're comfortable with, seek feedback constantly, and embrace iteration. Your first version won't be your last, and that's exactly how it's supposed to be.
WHERE DO YOU SEE STUDENTS WHO SIT A YEAR FROM NOW?
Over the next year, our focus is on proving that the trusted, community-based childcare model we've built at Duke can successfully scale across the country.
We'll be launching at universities throughout the Northeast and Southeast, building regional networks of Campus Founders, and continuing to strengthen partnerships with universities, medical centers, and university community organizations.
We'll also be launching our new mobile app, making the process of booking trusted childcare more seamless than ever before.
Longer term, our vision extends far beyond college campuses. We believe community is the missing piece in childcare, and we're building the infrastructure to make finding trusted care feel as natural as asking someone you already know.