Entertainment & Toys

My name is Omobola (but my author name is Simisayo Brownstone), and I am the CEO and founder of Teni & Tayo Creations. We produce toys, books, apparel, workshops and more for kids with a pinch of African influence. ? ? ? Up until a few years ago, I never really thought of myself as the type to start a business. I was born and raised in Nigeria and was always surrounded by people that looked like me, but now I live in Los Angeles California and I am raising my two daughters in an area where we are a minority. As my daughters got older, they started to notice how different they looked from their friends. Even the TV shows they loved so much lacked representation. I wanted to reassure them that they were beautiful just the way they are, so I began to be more deliberate about the things I bought for them. I wanted to surround them with books, toys and more that represented their beauty and culture, but there weren’t a lot of good options available. And when I tried to find representation in the things my daughters were particularly interested in – things like princesses, fairies and superheroes – it was even harder to find options. That’s when I decided to start something on my own, and that’s how my first character, Feyi Fay, was born. Feyi Fay is a Nigerian superhero fairy who travels the world helping kids solve their everyday problems from bullying to making friends. I later added a character called Captain Nosa to represent the boys. ? ? ? My goal with Teni & Tayo creations is to create a wide range of everyday products for kids, from pencil cases to underwear, and maybe even a TV show one day! I hope that these products appeal to children from all backgrounds and ethnic groups, while at the same time allowing black and African children to feel more seen, empowered, handsome, proud and eager to embrace their natural beauty.

Brilliant or BS? was created by TV challenge producer Kimelia Weathers Smith, a Washington D.C. native who turned her joy for hosting game nights for her friends into a career developing challenges for reality competition shows. Kimelia's love of bluffing games and her passion for bringing people together through conversation was the spark behind Brilliant or BS? With the support of nearly 200 backers, the Kickstarter campaign successfully raised over $10,000 to fund the game's first print order. When she isn't working on Brilliant or BS?, Kimelia is busy developing and producing challenges for reality competition shows for some of your favorite networks and streaming services including ABC, Netflix, Amazon and FOX.

We are Puzzles of Color! A black-owned family business run by brother-sister duo William and Ericka. We have been doing puzzles as a family since we were in elementary school and really enjoyed the challenge it presented and the long hours of family time we spent putting together works of art. But in doing so, we noticed two distinct problems, (1) the imagery often did not represent who we were and (2) when we liked a puzzle, we couldn’t find a frame that would fit them. So we decided to take matters into our own hands and create a puzzle company that addressed both of these issues. Our puzzles are framable pieces of art created by artists of color.

Light On My Path was founded by a mother-daughter duo who share a passion to spread the word of God. We are a company whose main mission is to make a positive difference in other people's lives through Christ. Light on my path creates a way for you and others to spread and share messages of faith, hope, strength, grace and love. We offer items such as journals, apparel, jewelry, mugs and many more.