Dip founder named Mompreneur of the Year

Kate Assaraf, a Sparta native and the mother of two, has been named 2024 Mompreneur of the Year by New Jersey Family magazine.

She and her husband, Jonathan, founded the sustainable hair-care company Dip in 2021.

A mompreneur is a woman who is both a mother and a business owner and who tries to balance the two roles. The magazine established the award four years ago to highlight the work of women throughout the state.

“Well, I think the joke is that it is cool to be the Mompreneur of the Year,” Assaraf said. “It is a really nice feather in my cap that I wasn’t expecting to get. Being a mompreneur is like being an entrepreneur but you get interrupted every two to eight minutes.”

Running a business has its challenges; being a full-time mother and wife brings other responsibilities to the table.

Assaraf’s challenges are not limited to being a mother and business owner, she said. Women today are expected to juggle many roles and she has built her brand around many female businesses.

“It feels a little surreal. It is such a difficult thing to run a business and such a difficult thing to be a mom,” she said. “I try to put the family first, and I can’t believe my business is recognized.”

Assaraf puts many small businesses first because many store owners are mothers. She feels a lot of comradery with them and believes that more gets done when they work together.

Sparta has been nothing short of perfect to Assaraf and her company, she said. When she had her second son, neighbors and some strangers brought her food for three weeks straight.

She now pays it forward; whenever she hears that someone had a baby, she loves to bring them food.

“Sparta supported me right away. The community of Sparta and the local refill shop, called Simple Bare Necessities, put Dip in their shop right away.”

Assaraf has a lot of responsibilities but has a team that helps her be so successful. Her husband helps with family duties and has a history of beauty experience. She also has a team at her warehouse in North Carolina.

She does not want all of the credit for her success because she would not be able to do anything without her team, she said. “I hired people that are much smarter than me.”

Dip’s products last from eight months to two years depending on the person. That would save the average consumer hundreds of dollars a year on shampoo and conditioner.

Dip will be launching a hair and body oil that will allow the user to touch paper within a few moments after applying it, she said. It will be available in the full fleet of scents by Sept. 1.

Dip is sold nationwide in about 400 local businesses and on its website at dipalready.com