Toys are important in the developmental stages of young children. Educational toys can help develop problem-solving skills, teach about conflict resolution, and how cause and effect works. It can also teach children about sharing, help develop their fine and gross motor skills, and nurture their creativity and imagination.   This is even more true for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as the need for toys that trigger their ability to learn is paramount. Children with autism s...

    “Helping children understand the election process and inviting them to discuss their views helps them feel involved and included, builds their critical thinking skills, and develops their sense of civic responsibility,” - Andrea Barbalich.   In the midst of a hectic year, today is a pivotal day to ensure your voice is heard, your vote is counted and your little one has the opportunity to learn about civic engagement. Children may be hearing election conversat...

Nothing says fall like Apple Cider. This holiday season Corage Dolls wants to support those organizations that support us! This year we launched our first fundraiser with a shirt that reflects the bold action and mantra we all have the opportunity to carry with us in the fight to ending injustice…Cultivate Courage. Designed by an awesome young Black female illustrator Ashley Blackwell, one hundred percent of the proceeds will go towards specific organizations addressing systemic issu...

    With the recent passing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and countless others we’re at a monumental moment of great civil unrest, that has pulled the curtains back on the deeply rooted racial inequities that have existed for Black Americans, but has also sparked the need for radical change and action. Some may say it is a revolution while others may say it is the new civil rights movement. Either way, the world is awakening in unity to racial i...

We as humans go through motions in which we’re either always on working or we feel we’re at a standstill, but during these times this shouldn’t be an either-or, but instead it should be an and we shouldn’t feel guilty when we need to take breaks and recharge.     Whether your busy parents and caregivers navigating multiple roles at home, living by yourself with a lingering feeling of anxiety or loneliness, or on the front lines risking your life to help sup...

In times like these when there are various levels of uncertainty or misinformation, we wanted to provide some ease by sharing meaningful business resources targeted to communities of color who are being disproportionately impacted by the crisis.   Image credit: Jamiel Law   At Corage Dolls, we understand that representation matters in everything we do and being a Black-owned business during this time representation and support for one another is of the utmost importance. As the p...

With schools closed many parents are navigating what the best resources are for teaching their children, but since there’s no one size fits all, here are some tips!       As another week passes people are starting to adjust to this “new normal” of staying at a distance, changing the manner in which they are used to working, and for most starting a new role as a teacher. Even in the midst of these changes, it’s understandable to feel stressed or anxiou...

Why connection is needed now more than ever. Hi all! While it’s been a while since my last post I wanted to check in as well as provide a few updates of my own. To start off, COVID-19 has gotten a number of us shaken up and concerned. We went from a week or so ago living our day to day lives to swiftly shifting to social distancing, stocking up on supplies, and trying to determine how our jobs and schools will function. It’s been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster, but plea...

It’s Springtime, kids can finally play outside, and families continue to be busy, but there’s no better time than the present to set your child up for early financial success. Yes, we’re in the month of Easter, but did you know that April is also National Financial Literacy Month! It’s a time to highlight the importance of financial literacy and no better audience to focus on than the youth of today.   As a company that helps to elevate, educate, and encourage g...

  Women and girls of color especially should be elevated for their continued contributions to society that at times goes ignored. Photo credit: Flora Ekpe-Idang In case you missed it March 8th was International Women’s Day and it was a day to celebrate how awesome women are. Brands highlighted their commitment to uplifting girls and women through various initiatives and organizations they support and there were communities that continued to push for the importance of intersection...

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded”. On Monday morning I pondered on these words as I read scripture to start my day. I found myself eventually gravitated to 2 Chronicles 15:7. Now before I continue please note that I am in no way someone who knows how to spit out scripture in a moment’s notice. Like others who take the time to study a craft like coding or Google Analytics, you practice and study notes so that’s what I want...

Where have you been? That’s probably what you’ve been wondering over this past year. It has been a wild ride, but I’ve learned many lessons along the way. I’ve shared with some of you that my previous manufacturer let me down and I never received my doll Aaliyah as a result. However, last Fall with the amazing support I decided to start all over again with a new manufacturer and I was determined to get my doll by any means possible.     So began a new plan wit...

Here at Corage Dolls, our mission is for girls of color everywhere to be represented in the doll industry, but if you've followed us long enough then you would know sometimes the ride can get bumpy! As owner and CEO of Corage Dolls, Flora Ekpe-Idang unapologetically shares her ups and downs as transparency and relatability are key in order to stay connected to our audience and drive our mission home. Today, we will examine the current state of the company, address just how far we've come, and ...

As a child, the back to school season came with a mixture of emotions. I used to get so simultaneously nervous and excited that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to jump for joy or faint! Fast forward to the present, and I am now a parent dealing with those same emotions in the form of my children… Talk about nostalgia! I find myself reaching out to my mom and asking her how she made it through the old days. Was she as concerned for me as I am for my kids? Times have definitely changed betw...

Let's Talk About "The Talk" In the recent P&G commercial titled “The Talk”, the short ad discusses first time conversations with children about racism and discrimination. The commercial shows various moms throughout U.S. history talking to their son or daughter about how to survive and respond to the inevitable biases they’ll face. The commercial is part of P&G’s ongoing My Black Is Beautiful campaign which now has had a 10-year run. Check out the commercial be...

 Property of Corage Dolls Bringing A Doll To Life By Flora Ekpe-Idang Aaliyah is an intuitive 8-year-old Chicagoan that has a knack for creating solutions to problems that face her community and is an entrepreneur in the making. Aaliyah is also the first doll of our Corage Dolls Crew line. We’re so close to getting the final doll ready for you and in the meantime we want to take you down memory lane and show you the transformation of Aaliyah till now. Remember, stay up to date on t...

Black Girls Perceived Less Innocent by Adults  By Flora Ekpe-Idang   In a recent study by Georgetown University’s Law Center on Poverty and Inequality titled “Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood”, the research suggests that perceived views of black girls ties to “adultification”. This means that black girls are viewed as being older than white girls their age and black girls need less protection and support than their whi...

By Flora Ekpe-Idang When there’s talk about successful entrepreneurs in the media often times it’s about adults that have the largest teams, built a growing ecosystem of great profitability, or dominate the market in what they do. Plus, if the media features these stories and they include a person of color that’s a rarity. However, there has been a growing trend and support for young entrepreneurs that even while in elementary school are creating businesses that are making c...

As you may or may not know, it's been awhile since I've shared my last post regarding Corage Dolls. Much has been happening behind the scenes and it’s been one heck of a ride in the process. However, I want to take a step back and introduce you to the person behind the doll…me. My name is Flora Ekpe-Idang, Founder & CEO of Corage Dolls. Corage Dolls wasn’t something that just popped into my head one day, but instead, it’s been a part of me since high school. Whi...

New Years Day. A day for getting rid of the old such as old habits, bad relationships, weight loss failures, that boring job and instead ringing in the new. As excited as I was about this new year, it was also the day that I learned that an amazing girl I knew in college committed suicide. No, we weren't the closest of friends, but we were colleagues nonetheless. We participated in our school's gospel choir for years as we sang songs of praise, redemption, and perseverance and when I was a resid...

As I sit at my computer on Christmas Day while others are either sleeping or very giddy as their opening their many exciting presents, I can't help but think back on the crazy year that we've had; especially if you represent a marginalized group. This year has ranged from the most memorable moments such as Beyonce oozing with #BlackGirlMagic at the Super Bowl, Leo DiCaprio FINALLY winning an Oscar, Colin Kaepernick's kneel to injustice, the Cubs breaking a curse, everything Hamilton, Solange ste...