HBCU Grad, Creator of First Black 18-Inch Superhero Doll Celebrates Having Sold 1,000’s of Units

blacknewsdailyNovember 7, 2023

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Shaneisha Dodson, a proud HBCU graduate of Grambling State University and the Founder and CEO of the Brilliant Girl, is celebrating having sold thousands of her dolls to young Black girls across the country. She says that she founded her company to create more representation in the toy and doll industry. “Growing up in Arkansas, there were not a lot of Black dolls on the store shelves,” she says.

This eventually inspired her to create the Sugamama doll, the first ever Black 18-inch superhero doll, and she has since heard so many stories from women who shared the same story of growing up and not seeing themselves represented.

Shaneisha says that these types of stories inspire her to continue creating products that promote positivity because she fully understands the impact that self-efficacy can have on a person’s growth. In fact, in 2022, she donated almost 100 dolls to children.

More than just dolls

As an award-winning playwright who loves to write, Shaneisha wanted to do more than just create dolls. And so, she has also authored and released two books The Adventures of Sugamama and Sugamama Saves Christmas to accommodate her best-selling doll. In addition, she has launched Positive Image Puzzles, a line of thoughtfully designed puzzles that highlight positive images surrounding fatherhood, superheroes, and girls having fun.