Lulo Unveils Impact Brief, Demonstrating How Its App Helps Families Maximize WIC Benefits in New York

New data shows Lulo is reducing barriers to food access, saving families time, and increasing WIC benefit redemption

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, April 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Lulo, a Brooklyn-based social enterprise, has released its first impact brief highlighting how its mobile app is empowering New York families to fully access and redeem their benefits in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food and nutrition program managed by the USDA. Since launching in Fall 2024, Lulo’s free app—co-designed with WIC-eligible families—has simplified WIC shopping and increased food redemption rates. The findings confirm a challenge long experienced by millions of families nationwide: navigating WIC benefits can be confusing, often leaving essential nutrition unclaimed.

"We spoke to over a hundred families in New York and went shopping with them. They all had one story in common: going up to the register and finding out an item they’re trying to buy isn’t WIC eligible. It can be an embarrassing experience that sticks with you every time you use your WIC card. We built Lulo so no one experiences that again,” shares Sarah Stellwag, Co-founder and CEO of Lulo.

Despite WIC’s proven success in improving maternal and early childhood health, only 53.5% of eligible families nationwide participate—far behind other federal assistance programs. Many struggle with complex eligibility rules, leading to frustration at the checkout counter and unredeemed benefits. Meanwhile, with food prices up 23.6% since 2020 and 1 in 5 children in the U.S. facing food insecurity, ensuring families can fully utilize WIC is more urgent than ever.

“Lulo's mission is to simplify healthy food access, give time and choice back to WIC families, and to increase impact of providers while reducing administrative burden. No one should have to spend hours jumping through hoops to feed their children - only to still struggle at the register. Our communities deserve better, so we built better,” says Dani Lopez, Co-founder and CSO of Lulo.

Lulo’s Initial Insights

• 70% of families report overall higher satisfaction with WIC shopping, including with WIC food choices
• 82% of families report redeeming more of their WIC food benefits
• 91% of families report saving time WIC shopping with Lulo
• 27 minutes saved on average per WIC shopping trip
• Families using Lulo collectively save over 1000 hours in time spent WIC grocery shopping each month
• Lulo families show average 6% point increase in WIC food benefits redemption (55% compared to 49% pre-Lulo) after downloading the app

Here’s what one mom shared about how Lulo has impacted her:

"What I love most about Lulo is how it goes beyond just helping me shop for WIC-approved items. It’s a one-stop resource that not only makes shopping easier with clear product images and eligibility details, but it also connects me to local WIC offices, offers helpful recipes to make the most of my WIC items, and provides great tips for saving money. The creativity and thoughtful features in the app make it incredibly helpful and convenient. It’s truly transformed how I manage my WIC benefits and has become an essential tool for making the whole process smoother and more efficient.”

About Lulo

Lulo is a social enterprise that builds tools to empower families to maximize their benefits. Our goal is to improve the WIC shopping experience, helping families access healthy food and boost program retention.

Lulo was founded at Blue Ridge Labs, the Robin Hood Foundation’s innovation studio, and is supported by Techstars, Communitas America, Village Capital, Camelback Ventures, and more. Lulo’s founding team combines deep expertise and lived experience with benefits access and mission-driven technology.

“Lulo is transforming WIC access by eliminating barriers, empowering families to redeem more benefits, and saving time for families in need. This kind of innovation provides critical food access to families at a critical time and also has the potential to scale nationwide, ensuring more families receive the essential nutrition they deserve.”
– Sergio Marrero, Managing Director, Blue Ridge Labs, Robin Hood Foundation

“The large gap between WIC eligibility and participation is a missed opportunity for improving maternal and child nutrition. Innovative solutions like Lulo that ease the use of nutrition benefits are essential for advancing public health.”
– Nevin Cohen, Director, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute



*'WIC' is a registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Lulo does not claim USDA affiliation or endorsement.

Dani Lopez
Lulo Ventures
contact@hellolulo.com
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