Inspiration came to Crystal Granderson-Reid and Janai Nelson four years
ago during a playdate with their toddlers in the Prospect-Lefferts
Gardens section of Brooklyn, where they both live."We were thinking about all the wonderful cultural exposure that our
children get here, and the world we want to create for them," Nelson
said. "We thought that there were just no products that reflect the
diversity of our neighborhood – ethnically, socially, economically,
everything – so it would be a fantastic idea to come up with a product
that represents that."Encouraged by a television show about mothers with great ideas, the friends decided to embark on a business venture together.
"We thought: ‘This is something we can do. Why not us?" Nelson said. READ MORE AT THE DAILY NEWS.
Q&A
What has been your biggest challenge?
Granderson-Reid: "Our biggest challenge has been finding the right partner. Meeting up with FAO, we definitely got a great start in things."
What would you do differently?
Nelson: "We would have loved to have been on the
market on the market sooner … but we really just operate from a
positive perspective. We learn from each experience."What was your biggest surprise?
Granderson-Reid: "How creative two people together can be, and how creative we are as a team."
Nelson: "It’s always a new and fresh feeling when people see the product and have such a positive reaction."
Where do you want to be a year from now?
Nelson: "We want to walk down the street and see kids
of all different backgrounds holding a [Brownstone Buddies] doll of
another background … and having a full appreciation of themselves and
every other kid around them."Granderson-Reid: "We see us being a prominent brand in the marketplace."