\
  The most prestigious law school admissions discussion board in the world.
BackRefresh Options Favorite

Nigerian-born mom behind 1st interactive African-American STEM doll

Hearty congrats.. mother and daughter recently wrote thei...
Thriller Sienna Hospital
  11/29/22
Shaneisha Dodson is behind the creation of the first-ever 18...
Thriller Sienna Hospital
  11/29/22
which nobel prize will she win?
talking bearded theatre mother
  11/29/22
all of them even for literature
Thriller Sienna Hospital
  11/29/22


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: November 29th, 2022 1:13 PM
Author: Thriller Sienna Hospital

Hearty congrats..

mother and daughter recently wrote their names in history books of Black tech innovators. Bukola Somide and her 8-year-old daughter, Olusomi, are behind the first-to-market African-American interactive STEM doll called “Somi“.

The duo recently won the 2022 ExCITE Innovation of the Year award presented by CodeCrew. “Having my work recognized by my peers is a great honor and it encourages me to do more to positively impact the lives of our children,” said Somide, according to Black Business.

Bukola, born in Kaduna, Nigeria, was inspired by her daughter to create the interactive Somi doll to excite children, especially Black girls, about learning Computer Science to bring change. Somi is a 14-inch doll aimed at making playtime both educational and entertaining. The doll is equipped with 12 voice-overs that help teach Computer Science concepts in a fun way and also deter cyberbullying.

The Somi STEM doll was designed based on the main character in Somide’s children’s storybook entitled: “Somi, The Computer Scientist: Princess Can Code”. As illustrated in the book, Somi is a curious, bright, humorous, and beautiful young girl who has a natural interest in learning Computer Programming concepts from her mom.

Her desire to know and learn more allows her to connect what she’s learning with real-life experiences. Hence, Somi’s persona was created with the aim that it will appeal to young learners who would find her relatable and want to befriend her.

“My passion is to bring computer science awareness to underserved communities while deterring cyberbullying. I’m so excited for everyone to experience Somi, The Computer Science doll!” Somide said.

The 14-inch Somi Computer Science Interactive Doll is made for everyone from the age of three. Somi has been described as a “real educational, entertaining, and inspirational tool for young learners and keepsake to celebrate milestones for young adults.”

Through Innovant Technologies LLC based in Phoenix, Somide first published a children’s storybook subtitled “Princess Can Code” in 2018 which was rated five stars on Amazon.com. She also published a Computer Science Activity Book for boys and for girls and further launched “Somi Computer Science Coding Workshop” for kids.

Somide’s vision is to create more children’s storybooks to build out the “Somi, The Computer Scientist” series, publish more Computer Science Activity books to cover more advanced concepts, and also develop a mobile application to disseminate online materials such as eBooks.

Apart from being a software engineer, Somide is an inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, author, and Project Management Professional. The Phoenix mom has been in the IT industry for almost two decades. Migrating to the United States as a teenager with her family, she first heard of Computer Science back in 10th grade. After attending a minority-based program, BRIDGE, in the summer preceding her freshman year of College, she created a working program using C-programming language.

“I was in awe and loved the critical thinking aspect of coding. That was my AHA moment to continue pursuing a degree in Computer Science,” she told Urban Geeks. “I was always the only Black woman on the Software Development team,” she said of her experience in tech. “My innate confidence helped me to thrive in this male-dominated industry. I was confident enough to speak up when needed.”

Somide has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park and also holds a Master’s degree in Technology Management from UMUC as well as a Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate from PMI.

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/the-nigerian-born-mom-behind-1st-interactive-african-american-stem-doll-that-recently-won-an-award



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5243975&forum_id=2#45559020)



Reply Favorite

Date: November 29th, 2022 1:13 PM
Author: Thriller Sienna Hospital

Shaneisha Dodson is behind the creation of the first-ever 18-inch Black superhero doll

Francis Akhalbey

November 25, 2022

Shaneisha Dodson has created the first-ever 18-Inch Black superhero Doll -- Photo via Black Business

Shaneisha Dodson said her urge to create the first-ever 18-inch Black superhero doll stemmed from her inability to find several dolls she could identify herself with as she was growing up. She also said the dolls did not possess the cultural traits of her fellow Black people – hence her creation of the Sugamama doll, Black Business reported.

Dodson, who is the founder and CEO of the kids’ retail company Brilliant Girl, said her organization’s aim is to ensure Black girls are also afforded representation when it comes to choosing toys they want to play with. And to make playing with the superhero dolls more entertaining, the toys have been given interesting backstories as well as several clothes that they can be changed into.

“All superheroes don’t wear capes, sometimes they wear aprons and eat cookies. With our dolls, we hope to give young girls the power to love themselves, to believe that can achieve the unimaginable, and to see themselves as the superheroes they are. Girls idolize their dolls and finding dolls that represent their true essence and the beauty of their culture is amazing,” Dodson said.

Brilliant Girl’s inaugural doll is the Sugamama Doll. She is described as a girl superhero who enjoys baking and munching on cookies. Besides the doll, Brilliant Girl also has picture books and coloring books that will enable children to get to know more about Sugamama’s adventures.

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/shaneisha-dodson-is-behind-the-creation-of-the-first-ever-18-inch-black-superhero-doll

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5243975&forum_id=2#45559026)



Reply Favorite

Date: November 29th, 2022 1:20 PM
Author: talking bearded theatre mother

which nobel prize will she win?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5243975&forum_id=2#45559051)



Reply Favorite

Date: November 29th, 2022 9:56 PM
Author: Thriller Sienna Hospital

all of them even for literature

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5243975&forum_id=2#45561360)