The Alternative Press

MAPLEWOOD, NJ - More than 40 women joined Momagama founder, Nidhi Tomar, on Friday at Click Learning Center in downtown Maplewood to celebrate the successful launch of Momagama.com, the new website for area mothers.

Tomar describes Momagama as, “a collaborative online platform where local moms can connect.” The site, which focuses on areas of interest to moms in Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn, is content-driven and features original work by local writers, primarily about kids, relationships and lifestyle.

After the birth of her second child, Tomar decided to leave her corporate job and create her own company, which would give her the flexibility to spend more time with her children.  Having spent 12 years in the tech and finance sectors, this NYU-trained MBA sought a business niche that was not well covered in our area and could be done from home. 

After much research and brainstorming, the idea for Momagama.com was born.  Tomar began work on the site in April 2012 and launched the live site on Jan. 30, 2013.  As a new mother, she saw the need for a place online for local moms to “network, connect and share,” as Tomar put it.

“Response has been great, with more than 1,700 visitors to the site so far,” Tomar said.  That includes 420 registered users and 828 Facebook fans, impressive for a site less than two months old.  The site is free to users and is supported by paid advertising and newsletter sponsorship.

The launch party brought together contributors and fans of the site. Kerry Cordero presented some tips on looking good. Anu Mahadev read poems from her recently published collection, “Myriad.” Food was provided by South Orange restaurant, The Blue Plate Special. There were swag bags made by Kimaya Salaskar from Kimaya Kama.

Suzanne Hassler, who attended the party, said, “Momagama is a kind and supportive environment. I really like it!”

That feeling was seconded by Wendy Wolski, who said, “You can have conversation on Momagama that you can’t have on Facebook. Momagama is a great space for moms and a great local resource.”

Prizes awarded at the party to some lucky attendees included a one-hour private cooking class from chef Erin Ferguson, a personal styling session from Kerry Cordero of The First Look Image, and a gift card to Indulgence Day Spa.

Tomar said, “The launch party was a lot of fun,” and she is looking forward to nurturing the online community she has created and watching it grow.