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Available for
Keynote, Virtual Presentation, Panel, Workshop and TrainingFee Ranges
US East: $5,000 or under*
US West: $5,000 or under*
Europe: Please inquire
Asia: Please inquire
Other: Please inquire
* Ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees vary by engagement type and are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact Gravity Speakers.
Traveling From
Detroit, MI, USAAbout
Yelitsa never had a doll that looked like her growing up. The one time her parents gave her a black doll, she burst into tears because it wasn’t the “pretty one”. Since then, Yelitsa has made it her goal to make sure that no other children feel the way she did about her own appearance growing.
Yelitsa has gone from not knowing how to do her own hair at the age of 21 to teaching young girls all about their own.
Since starting Healthy Roots Dolls, Yelitsa has graduated from RISD with a BFA in Illustration and a concentration in Gender, Race & Sexuality. She has won the Startup Stampede, New Voices Fund Pitch competition, participated in the Backstage Capital Accelerator program, and was awarded the first Main Street Ventures Wendy S. Lea Female founders Grant. In 2019, Healthy Roots Dolls took First Place and People’s Choice at the Quicken Loans Detroit Demo Day.
She is a 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 Honoree and to date, Yelitsa has raised $1,500,000. Healthy Roots Dolls is helping thousands of parents provide their children with a product that makes them feel seen and beautiful. Yelitsa’s mission is to make sure everyone loves their healthy roots.
Topics
How Black Girl Magic Can Change the World
Yelitsa looks to the options society provides to girls of color and considers a more diverse & inclusive future powered by women entrepreneurs.
Yelitsa Jean-Charles can speak to topics around entrepreneurship, art & design, culture competency, diversity & inclusion, and social justice.
Videos
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GoDaddy: Celebrating the Beauty of Diversity with Healthy Roots Dolls | Icons of Detroit
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Today: See 2 companies’ mission to increase diversity in kids’ toys
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Stitch: Meet Zoe! The Black doll proving why representation matters
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PBS: START UP | Healthy Roots Dolls / Detroit, MI
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Yahoo Finance: Healthy Roots Dolls ‘Bring diversity to the toy aisle’
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Forbes: Spotlight: Yelitsa Jean-Charles | Under 30 Summit 2019
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Podcast: Brave, Not Perfect with Reshma Saujani
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UPS: Podcast: What Can a Doll Teach Us About Black Business?
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Oberlo: Getting Funding, Changing Lives and Blowing Up On Twitter
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Art19: Yelitsa’s Dream Doll
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TEDxProvidence: How #blackgirlmagic can Change the World
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Brown University Founder Friday: Yelitsa Jean-Charles
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Creative Mornings Cincinnati: Yelitsa Jean-Charles
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Midwest UX: WTF Does UX Have to do with Social Impact?
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Refinery 29: Healthy Roots Teaches Natural Hair Care to Young Girls
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Side Hustle Pro: The Founder of Healthy Roots Dolls on Empowering Black Girls to Embrace Their Natural Hair (Podcast)
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Bootstrapped VC: Healthy Roots Dolls
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Brave Not Perfect: Yelitsa Jean-Charles
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Black Entrepreneur Experience: TEDx Talk Speaker + Toy Company Founder (Podcast)
Articles
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Forbes: Yelitsa Jean-Charles
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Women's Health: Yelitsa Jean-Charles Created Healthy Roots Dolls To Help Kids Feel Good About Their Natural Hair
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Crunchbase: Healthy Roots Dolls Lands $1M Seed For Product Line That Represents All Children
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Yahoo!: How black dolls can help teach kids about race, identity and self-esteem: 'It’s important to give black children childhood'
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Forbes: While Discussing Hate, The Internet Falls In Love With A Little Doll Named Zoe
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Essence 50: ‘Healthy Roots’ Founder Yelitsa Jean-Charles Advises Budding Entrepreneurs To Trust Their Process
