Game Changer: The Remarkable Story of Caroline's Cart
Author: Caroline's Cart
Published: 25 Apr 2017 - Updated: 14 Sep 2023
Publication Type: Literature / Review
Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Related Publications
Synopsis: Caroline's Cart creator Drew Ann Long releases book chronicling rise from mom to special needs advocate and entrepreneur.
Introduction
Drew Ann Long, the mother of a special needs child who created a shopping cart that has simplified the lives of parents like her all over the world, has authored a book about her experience. Game Changer: The Remarkable Story of Caroline's Cart, recounts Long's journey from harried mother to manufacturer, negotiator and advocate for special needs children. It is available today in hardback on Amazon, Whitecapsmedia, and as an ebook from Apple and Amazon (also Amazon Prime). The official launch party will be held at Innovation Depot on May 11 at 11 a.m.
Main Content
Caroline's Cart is a shopping cart created for children and adults with special needs. It provides parents and caregivers a viable option to transport a child through a store while grocery shopping, without simultaneously having to maneuver a wheelchair and a traditional grocery cart. It is named after Caroline, the special needs daughter of Drew Ann and David Long, founders of PSG International.
Caroline's Cart shoppers Drew Ann Long grocery shops with her daughter, Caroline, who sits comfortably in Caroline's Cart.
"Caroline's Cart started as a drawing on a napkin, and through nine years of hard work and lessons learned, it has become a staple in stores like Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Kroger and Home Depot," Long says.
"With the book, I wanted to share the story of how the commitment and hard work became a game changer for many in need around the world, and to challenge readers to become game changers in their own lives. From my first meetings at University of Alabama (UAB) in 2009 and my early collaboration with Innovation Depot, Caroline's Cart has grown to be a widely used accessible shopping option for the special needs community."
Game Changer: The Remarkable Story of Caroline's Cart shares the story of a mom who simply needed to buy groceries but couldn't manipulate a shopping cart, and a wheelchair at the same time.
Determined that there must be a better way, Long set out to create a new standard for one of the country's largest industries. Eventually, she succeeded, through a crazy, faith-challenging and remarkable journey that drew her into the worlds of engineering, manufacturing, finance, patent law and the corporate boardroom. The National Retail Federation recently honored Caroline's Cart as one of the top 25 companies shaping the future of retail in 2017.
A key player in the success story of Caroline's Cart is Rebel Negley, who joined Long's company in 2012 as CEO and helped negotiate an international licensing and manufacturing agreement to make Caroline's Cart available on five continents.
Negley and Long are available for speaking engagements, in which they share the story of the product that has been life-changing for families that have children and adults with special needs, as well as motivate listeners to become difference-makers in challenges they face in their everyday lives.
Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Caroline's Cart and published on 25 Apr 2017, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.