Our Team
Get to Know Our Safety Experts
Safe Start is parent-owned and operated.
We are skilled baby proofing experts who understand the challenges faced by modern parents. We design thoughtful and functional safety solutions to improve everyday life.
Alisa Bishop
CEO & Founder
Alisa is a nationally respected safety expert with over a decade of experience in professional baby proofing. She has worked in thousands of homes, identifying hazards and designing solutions that improve the everyday lives of families. Her modern approach combines deep safety knowledge with developmental science, visual design, product usability and long-term functionality.
Alisa lives in the Washington DC area with her husband, Russell Smith, chef-owner of Alfreda, a nationally recognized pizzeria. Together with their two daughters, Lily and Aerin, and their dog, Marley, they enjoy listening to Taylor Swift, and taking vacations at the beach.
Alisa is proficient with power tools, not afraid to climb onto a roof, and can install baby gates in her sleep.
Tulio Villeda
Lead Safety Technician - DC
Tulio is one of our most practiced safety technicians – and proof that excellence in child safety comes from skill, discipline, and judgment, not just parenthood.
With many years of hands-on residential construction experience, Tulio brings true craftsmanship to every installation. He has an expert-level understanding of structure and materials, knowledge that directly translates into safer, stronger, longer-lasting child proofing solutions. He understands the nuance behind Safe Start’s more in-depth approach to home safety and executes it with precision and confidence.
When he’s not working, Tulio spends time with his extended family, helps his dad run his family’s contracting business, and goes to concerts.
Holly Theis
Lead Child Safety Expert - DC
Holly brings an eye for design and uncompromising safety standards to every project. After receiving intensive training from top safety experts, Holly quickly became one of the region's most trusted child safety experts.
Importantly, families immediately trust Holly’s calm, capable presence and ability to translate safety needs into solutions that actually make sense for their home and lifestyle. Before joining Safe Start, Holly spent much of her career in interior design and professional home staging. As a result, she’s developed an in-depth understanding of space, flow, and how thoughtful details shape the way a home feels. Today, she brings that expertise to child safety – making sure homes are safe but still beautiful.
When she’s not working, Holly is busy at home with her husband, John, showering love on her two babies, JoJo and Penelope.
