It was a time when the Internet itself was still a toddler, an era before social media, blogs, YouTube, and even before web calendars. Debra Ross, KidsOutAndAbout's founder (and Entertainment Calendar.com's current publisher), launched the site in Rochester, NY.
At the time, Ross, a technology consultant to the direct commerce industry, had a toddler and one on the way; she was coming to understand how much Rochester had available for kids, teens, and families, but she was finding out about it all after it had already happened.
There ought to be a website to let folks know what's happening in advance, she thought. So she started KidsOutAndAbout.com while on her maternity leave from her other business