40 Under 40: Amy Plass

Nearly six years ago, small business owner Amy Plass, 35, started Inland Mama to curate products and services to nurture families.

Inland Mama has since expanded online and grown into a brick-and-mortar shop at 614 E. Seltice Way, Post Falls.

"We started with just cloth diapers, and now sell many essentials such as baby carriers, strollers, breastfeeding and pumping supplies, and a variety of baby-related gifts," she said.

Plass is a certified babywearing educator and child passenger safety technician and instructor. She sources products and does the back-end work to keep the business running. Her favorite part is helping customers, from product education and community resource referrals to helping parents build confidence to offering a listening ear.

"I’m so honored to be there for them during this important time in their lives," she said.

Plass' goal is to make the world more baby-friendly. In pursuit of that goal she hosts baby-feeding and diaper-changing lounges at local events such as the North Idaho State Fair and works with Safe Kids Worldwide and the Idaho/Inland Northwest Breastfeeding Coalitions.

She is incredibly grateful and honored to be recognized for those efforts and that "others in the community appreciate and value what we're working toward."