Growing up in the South Bronx, Dani Lopez learned early on how to find the library, read a bus schedule, and get help when the grown-ups didn’t know where to turn.
It came with the territory: she was the oldest of two and the child of a single immigrant mom who received benefits from WIC, the federal nutrition program for women, infants, and children. “I was always translating between English and Spanish, but more than that — I also just became a really good translator of systems,” she said.
That instinct to navigate, decode, and connect the dots became her life’s work, first in higher education and now as the co-founder of Lulo, a free app that helps families across New York State make sense of WIC.
Launched in September 2024, Lulo is already being used by more than 2,500 families, according to Lulo staff. The app tracks their benefits, identifies groceries eligible for WIC, which stands for women, infants and children, the population the food assistance program intends to serve. The app has information about food pantries and diaper banks as well as mental health resources and even free museum days.
More than a tech solution, Lulo is a love letter to low-income families. This comes across even in the origin story of the app’s name: When Lopez and her co-founder were doing user research in Jackson Heights, they bought a lulo smoothie — featuring a tropical fruit that Lopez, who is Ecuadorian, grew up drinking. The name reflects Lopez’s roots, their community-focused approach, and a fun bonus: a lulo is WIC-eligible.
The Lulo app is also an extra helping hand at a time when food security is increasingly uncertain.
Since 2020, WIC participation in New York State has grown nearly 25%, now reaching about 66% of the eligible population, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. This percentage coincides with a growing poverty rate statewide and in NYC: The poverty rate in the city is now 25%, up from 18% just two years ago, according to a recent poverty tracker report.
Food insecurity in the time of Trump funding freezes and misinformation
Lulo’s founders grew concerned during the federal funding freeze initiated under the Trump administration in January, which temporarily halted most grants and loans, including support for programs like WIC. This freeze threw families into a state of confusion and fear. The policy was eventually reversed after significant backlash and a court intervention.
Still, Lopez says a bigger, more longtime issue around food access has centered on the first Trump administration’s expansion of the public charge rule — “this idea that if families who are in the immigration process use certain benefits, they will essentially be docked points, and their chances of getting either a green card or citizenship go down.”
Misinformation led many Latino and immigrant families to stop using WIC even though the program wasn’t affected. To counter this, Lulo staff emphasized in a January newsletter that WIC and SNAP wouldn’t impact immigration status, urging families to use these resources. They explained, in English and Spanish, that Lulo isn’t a government entity and reassured people that, to keep their data safe, the app only collects emails and codes.
“It’s not just the churros and the corn flakes and the government cheese”
WIC benefits are strict and specific: 36 ounces of cereal, but only certain brands and sizes. A gallon of milk, but not every kind. For new parents, figuring it out can turn a trip to the store into a time-suck and frustration zone. Lopez says many of the resources available in low-income communities lack quality.
“What has been really illuminating for families is saying, ‘Hey, it’s not just the churros and the corn flakes and the government cheese,’” Lopez said.
For instance, one mom in the Lulo pilot cohort was surprised to learn that Chobani Greek yogurt, which is rich in healthy fats and protein, is WIC-eligible.
Knowing what you can shop with WIC
This shopping feature had a profound impact on Shadaria McDuffie, a Bronx mom who started using Lulo shortly after giving birth to her son, August. “As a new mom, I didn’t know what was accepted, what was not accepted from my WIC,” she said.
After her WIC office referred her to the then-new Lulo, McDuffie joined a Zoom call with other moms where Lulo’s team walked them through the app.
One of her biggest game-changers was Lulo’s shopping list function. It guided her directly to the right products, showing what was covered by WIC, food stamps, and what she needed to pay for with cash.
Suddenly, McDuffie could select the beans she wanted and see the exact ounces and quantity allowed, without needing to scan each item. Now, when she had to choose between items like beans or peanut butter, she could look at what they had at home and be strategic about what to skip on this trip.
More than just food
For Siramadliz Pimentel, a new mother studying to be a teacher, Lulo was more than just a food-shopping tool — it was a lifeline to unexpected resources.
Pimentel connected to Lulo through Robin Hood, a nonprofit organization aimed at addressing poverty in New York and the author of the annual poverty tracker.
Pimentel began introducing solid foods to her son, Silas, at four months, focusing on fruits and vegetables. WIC supported her by providing benefits that allowed her to purchase fresh produce for homemade purees. The app made the process smoother by displaying images of approved foods, rather than just a list of item names.
She recalls the awkwardness of grabbing an item and heading to checkout — only to have cashiers tell her it wasn’t WIC-approved, even though her WIC food app said it was. Lulo made it clearer.
Beyond groceries, the app connected her to discounts at museums and aquariums, helping her give Silas enriching experiences. Lulo shows which museums offer discounts and their prices. For those with WIC or SNAP, some locations charge only $3.
Both McDuffie and Pimentel were part of a six-month cohort of mothers who gave real-time feedback to improve the app. They helped shape everything from deciding which features were keepers to the app’s color scheme and other design elements.
“These moms are the real architects of the app,” Lopez said. “They’re shaping the future of WIC access.”
Limitations and policy challenges
Despite Lulo’s successes, Lopez is quick to point out that the app’s reach is constrained by the very system it aims to improve. For one, Lulo cannot work directly with WIC agencies, despite their interest and support. That means the moms who benefit from Lulo’s ease of access and grocery shopping support don’t always have the same ease at the WIC office.
And despite Lulo’s growth, the process of raising awareness is slow. This lack of recognition is compounded by the reality of WIC’s underfunding. WIC, compared to SNAP, receives far less attention from policymakers, according to Lopez.
In addition to raising awareness about the app — which can be downloaded at this link — Lopez and her team are working with local WIC stores and vendors, as well as advocating for online WIC shopping, which would allow families to receive their benefits more efficiently and conveniently.
However, challenges remain with scalability and partnerships. Lulo’s staff is a mighty but tiny team of four.
Mom-made solutions
Lopez remains steadfast in her vision for a future where food access is dignified and efficient, and where systemic barriers to services are tackled head-on.
“We’re really proud that Lulo is a beautiful, easy-to-use tool,” Lopez said. “And just showing that, ‘hey, we can build, create, and create solutions ourselves. We don’t need to wait.”
As Lulo continues to grow, Lopez’s commitment to co-designing the app with new mothers will remain at the heart of the platform’s evolution. What brings her the most joy is “hearing the feedback from moms, like, ‘Oh, my God, WIC shopping isn’t a headache, it’s not miserable anymore,” Lopez said.
How to learn more and refer someone you know
Lulo is based in Brooklyn, and the app is available in New York, Georgia, California, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, and Virginia.
Learn more about Lulo here.
Email Lulo at contact@hellolulo.com.
Follow on Instagram at @hello.lulo.
Call 718-804-5943.
Read more of our stories about food insecurity.
