From Tech CEO to Storyteller: A Founder's New Venture in Publishing

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – December 12, 2025 – In the world of business, a pivot often signals a response to market pressure or a shift in corporate strategy. But for Libby Hikind, the established founder and CEO of the prominent grant-finding platform GrantWatch.com, her latest move is a calculated venture into an entirely different industry: children’s literature. The recent launch of her expanded seven-title collection of children's books represents more than a personal passion project; it is a strategic entry into a rapidly evolving market, leveraging decades of professional expertise to build a new kind of legacy.

Hikind is not a typical debut author. She is a seasoned entrepreneur who built GrantWatch into a leading resource with over 230,000 monthly visitors, integrating AI tools to streamline the search for funding. This success was built upon a 29-year career as an educator with the New York City Department of Education, where she honed her skills in curriculum development and raised $11 million in grants for her school district. Her career demonstrates a sharp ability to identify a need and build a robust system to meet it. Now, she is applying that same acumen to the world of children's publishing.

The Entrepreneur's Next Chapter

Rather than resting on her laurels, Hikind has channeled her entrepreneurial drive into an independent publishing venture. While actively seeking an agent and publisher, she is not waiting for permission to execute her vision. Her collection of seven books, targeting readers aged 4-12, is already available through major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart. This independent spirit is characteristic of a founder who has launched multiple ventures, including Grant Writer Team and the Grant Writing Institute.

Her motivation, however, is deeply personal, stemming from her roles as a grandmother and great-grandmother. "I write the stories I want the children and adults in my own family to read; and the stories I wish every child could hear," Hikind states, emphasizing her goal to create "stories that build courage, kindness, and the confidence to be yourself." This mission-driven approach transforms her business from a simple commercial enterprise into a platform for social impact, a move that resonates with a growing consumer desire for brands with purpose.

A Strategic Bet on Tangible Interaction

In an industry increasingly dominated by digital content, Hikind's core product innovation is decidedly tangible. For each story, she offers a companion coloring book edition that includes the full original text alongside line-art illustrations. This is a deliberate strategic choice, creating a multi-layered product that directly addresses two key market trends: the demand for interactive learning and parental pushback against excessive screen time.

The global interactive children's book market is experiencing robust growth, but Hikind's model cleverly bridges the gap between passive reading and hands-on creativity. By allowing children to "read, reread, and color their way through each story," the books foster literacy through repetition and imaginative engagement. This physical interactivity enhances fine motor skills, reading readiness, and storytelling abilities, offering a compelling alternative to digital apps.

Further distinguishing her work is a unique illustration style that blends real-world photographs with endearing illustrated characters. This multimedia approach is more than an aesthetic quirk; it is a pedagogical tool that grounds fantastical narratives in a recognizable reality, which can aid vocabulary development and conceptual understanding in young readers. This thoughtful product design demonstrates a deep understanding of both child development and market dynamics, positioning the collection as a premium educational tool, not just a set of storybooks.

Tapping the Billion-Dollar Social-Emotional Market

The most significant business insight behind Hikind's venture lies in its content. Her books are purpose-built to address the core tenets of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), a sector experiencing explosive growth. With projections showing the SEL market expanding to over $27 billion by 2033, publishers and educators are scrambling for high-quality resources. Hikind’s collection is perfectly positioned to meet this demand.

Her titles tackle complex, relevant issues with a gentle hand. Bailey Bullied Me provides a framework for discussing bullying and kindness. Why Won't You Go to School, Kiki Kangaroo? addresses childhood anxiety. In a particularly innovative move, Twig Literacy uses a story about beavers to introduce foundational concepts of financial literacy, such as saving and sharing. Other books explore resilience (Why Won't You Fly, Sky?) and self-acceptance (Ziva the Zebra Runs Away).

This is not accidental. Leveraging her background in education, Hikind has designed these books as tools for parents, counselors, and teachers. Each volume includes "Extend the Story" discussion questions, transforming a simple bedtime story into a guided conversation about complex emotions and values. Her stated readiness to work with school districts on curriculum development reveals a long-term B2B strategy that could see her books integrated directly into classrooms, exponentially increasing their impact and market penetration. By focusing on these value-driven narratives, Hikind isn't just selling books; she is providing solutions for a generation of parents and educators prioritizing character development and emotional intelligence.

Building a Legacy Beyond the Balance Sheet

Hikind’s approach combines a modern, wide-reaching distribution strategy with a grassroots community-building effort. By securing placement on major retail platforms, she ensures broad accessibility. Simultaneously, by encouraging readers to request her titles at local libraries, she promotes equitable access and builds brand loyalty from the ground up. This dual strategy is designed for sustainable, long-term growth.

Ultimately, this venture represents a fascinating shift in the entrepreneurial landscape, where seasoned leaders apply their business acumen to fields driven by purpose as much as profit. It is a testament to the idea that a successful career can have multiple acts, each building on the last. For an entrepreneur who built a career connecting people with funding, her new venture connects a new generation with something equally valuable: the tools to build character, one story at a time.