11-Year-Old ‘Beautiful Curly Me’ CEO Zoe Oli Has an Unbelievably Inspiring Story
Randomly scrolling through Instagram today, I caught a glimpse of Zoe Oli beautifully discovering her creation, Beautiful Curly Me, on the shelf at Target. Though I didn’t know her story, Zoe’s reaction pulled at my heartstrings and brought me to tears.
At just 11 years old, she is the inspiring CEO of Beautiful Curly Me—an Atlanta-based toy and media company dedicated to instilling confidence in young girls. Zoe’s vision has birthed a line of beautiful Black dolls and empowering puzzles, coupled with her role as an author of several children’s books. Her incredible accomplishments have earned her features across various platforms, including Good Morning America and Forbes, and she has been recognized as a Time & Nickelodeon Kid of the Year Finalist and the world’s youngest Black TEDx speaker.
A determined 7th grader with a passion for reading, art, music, and STEM, Zoe is committed to giving back. For every doll purchased on beautifulcurlyme.com, one is donated to a girl in need, spreading confidence far and wide. Zoe passionately speaks at conferences, schools, and corporate events, inspiring young people to dream big and pursue their goals.
The spark for this incredible journey ignited when Zoe, at age six, felt disappointed that her hair didn’t look like her classmates’. Her mother, Evana, empathized with her daughter and sought to help her embrace her natural beauty through positive affirmations and role models. However, Zoe soon realized that while her doll shared her skin tone, it lacked the curly hair that represented her. This led to the inception of Beautiful Curly Me, a brand designed to uplift young girls and encourage them to celebrate their unique identities.
Now, as the savvy and creative founder and CEO—affectionately known as Zboss—Zoe is hands-on in every aspect of her mission to make a difference in the world. Together with her mom Evana and the entire Beautiful Curly Me team, they are determined to inspire and empower the next generation of #curlyandconfident girls, because all girls deserve to glow.