Children’s party planning is a booming industry, yet representation is not there when it comes to children of color. Andrea Lyons, founder and CEO of Anna+Pookie, a Black woman-owned start-up offering a line of party supplies for children of color, wants to change that. The company’s goal is to help mothers celebrate their children with a diverse range of party supplies catering specifically to Black and Brown girls and boys.
Despite Black consumers’ $1.2 trillion spending power, mainstream global brands still lag in acknowledging diverse representation when marketing their products. In the party supply and toy sectors, diversity is limited and, in most cases, nonexistent.
“When it comes to party planning, finding high-quality party supplies and products geared toward children of color is nearly an impossible mission,” says Andrea. “I launched Anna+Pookie because I am incredibly passionate about creating products that empower our children. Our party supplies help cultivate a loving self-image, boost confidence, and show black and brown children that they deserve space on the store shelf too!”
Initially launched to cater mainly to young girls, Anna+Pookie’s party supply line portrays Black girls as beautiful princesses, ballerinas, and mermaids. A new line celebrating “Black Boy Joy” was released just in time to kick off celebrating memorable moments in January 2022!
As a champion for diversity, Anna+Pookie has taken the creative control out of the hands of global brands catering to girls and boys of color and put it in the hands of the underrepresented market they are neglecting to cater to.