Hi there! We're Chanie and Musya, co-founders of Hart & Hero. As parents, we noticed a difference in toys that were marketed to boys and girls. Boys' toys and clothing celebrated action, girls' toys and clothing celebrated beauty and nurture. But all children should have the opportunity to benefit from all play genres. And so we created Hart and Hero.
Hart and Hero was born out of a need to bridge the gender play gap. We wanted to design a gender-neutral capsule playroom collection that would give children the opportunity to discover foundational play genres that they had been locked out of due to social stereotypes. Like… a doll stroller that wasn't pink.
We started speaking to people. Initiating conversations with other parents in the park. On the Starbucks line. In the airport. Does your son have a doll stroller? Would you let him play with one? Why not?
The Fear of Soft
One recurring concern that we kept hearing was the word ‘soft’. They didn’t want their son to be soft. They wanted him to be strong. Tough. Manly. And the thought of their little boy pushing a doll stroller made them… uncomfortable. Soft seemed to be equated with weak.
These parents were former Marines. Security guards. Teachers. Stay-at-home moms. Entrepreneurs. And these moms and dads were often pushing strollers themselves. Carrying diaper bags, holding babies. Did that make them weak? Any less man?
Caring for the weak and vulnerable is a pretty incredible thing to do. Being a parent can require the strength of the Hulk, the investigative skills of Holmes, and the patience of a Saint. There’s definitely nothing weak about that. So why were we giving our kids the opposite message?
That being a nurturer is weak?
The Power in Kind
We wanted to combat the messaging that family life was unimportant. That caring for others is a weakness. And so we brainstormed. Spoke with Educators. Couture designers. Psychologists. Parents. Kids. We read and researched a lot. And we came up with the initial concept for our launch collection. A gender-neutral doll stroller with a matching superhero cape and pajamas so that kids can feel powerful and heroic as they practice empathy, roleplaying family life.
It took us two years to refine our collection. We wanted a perfect aesthetic. Excellent quality. A revolutionary design. It took us two years of prototyping. Tweaking. Refining the details barely perceptible to others. Watching our kids play and adapting it accordingly. Until we came up with the Herotron.
But something unexpected happened during our years in the research and development phase. That hero suit and cape that were almost an afterthought in our initial business model? The kids leaned into them big time.
Something happened to those kids when they put on their capes and power suits.
Empowered Play
They felt powerful. They looked in the mirror and saw themselves as the hero they could be. They stood up straighter. And they discovered their Hero within.
Seeing the kids’ reactions, we explored further. And when the prototype for Hartie arrived, these preschoolers really tapped into their inner heroes. Hartie followed them everywhere, helping them find their Calm. Their Brave. And reminding them that their inner hero was always there. Even when they couldn’t see it, even when others would make them feel bad, their inner Hero was always there.
Hart & Hero transcended being just a collection; it became a movement—a movement that challenges norms and celebrates the strength found in kindness and courage. Together, let's continue to empower our children to discover the heroes within themselves.
