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News 12 Staff

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Eleanor Mack is the founder and CEO of Jilly being based in San Francisco. She's created a line of Asian dolls that are absolutely gorgeous. Tell us about your daughter Jillian's reaction to this doll and her friends. Yeah, she um she let me go back and share how we came up with the, we spent a lot of time really looking at, you know, lots of Asian American children's faces and in particular, the eyes and the reason we focused so much on the eyes was that, that's what I remember being made fun of as a kid. And I really wanted my, my daughter and Children like her to be able to see a doll with beautiful eyes that looked like theirs. Um So when we first handed Jillian, my daughter, the prototype, uh she was maybe 2.5 years old at that point. She just gasped in the light and she's like that do the doll looks like me looks like me. And she pointed to the little doll's black eyes and she's like black, black like jelly like me. And it was just such a heartwarming moment. Um We were trying to capture all of this on camera and then she was squeezing the doll so hard and hugging that the prototypes head popped off and we had to stop the camera. Um, and she was just sort of in this moment of shock, but it was just for, for myself, for the designers that, you know, worked with us. It was just such a, it was a moment. We were all sort of teary eyed watching Jillian. My daughter's reaction to a doll that reminded herself of herself and I bet you were touched, you wanted to make sure that it was not a stereotype. Correct. Yes. Yes. Um And I think, you know, Asian American women in particular, I think for many years, we've been stereotyped as, you know, demure dainty, you know, good at math, bad at sports. And we really just wanted when we spoke with moms, what we heard, loud and clear parents of Children, which is that we wanted to let our Children the freedom, give them the freedom to be who they are, you know, breaking down these stereotypes. Um So it began with making sure this doll had beautiful eyes, but we also put this doll in a sporty outfit to that. She says Jilly B also wears a chef inspired apron that represents foods of the Asian culture that Children can be proud of.

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About the jelly doll today. It's absolutely gorgeous. Eleanor Mack is the founder and CEO of Jilly being based in San Francisco. Growing up Eleanor, you said your mother was an inspiration for you too. Yeah. My mom immigrated to New York um over 40 years ago and as an immigrant in a new country, she felt like she lost her voice because she didn't speak the language. She was an unfamiliar territory. And I remember growing up as a little girl, she would make me um be her voice like when she, you know, I still vividly remember this one time where she felt like she didn't get the right change from the cashier at the supermarket. And she made me go and ask and I was sort of a shy seven year old sort seven or eight. And it was horrifying to have to go and talk to an adult like that. But I think in that I realized she gave me my voice, uh my voice to speak up for myself um to speak up for those around me. And I think it's the same voice that really empowered me to say, you know what? There aren't dolls that look like our Children. I'm gonna go create one. I'm gonna go give our Children a voice. Was it difficult to give them that voice and get that company off the ground? Yeah. So um I joke, I literally knew nothing about creating a doll. I just II I still remember Googling. How do you make a doll and watching, you know youtube videos of doll painting and head molding? And I just thought, how hard can it be? Um fast forward. Three years later, I will say making dolls is very challenging. Um But I think I was just so driven to um create this doll that I think I wished I had growing up and I wanted Children like Jillian and my, you know, other and her friends to, to really have to able to walk into, you know, a retailer or toy store, right? And with a gas in delight when they see a doll that looks like them, I never had that as a kid. Um And I was just shocked that even in the, you know, 2022 I couldn't find that. So I think it was that, you know, I would call it the mom of their instinct that made me feel like, yeah, I can make a dog with no, no design, no drawing experience.

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825spotlightnj4_2024-08-25-11-11-17

I'm sitting here chatting with Eleanor Mack who is the founder and CEO of Jilly being based in San Francisco. She makes a line of gorgeous Asian dolls and the inspiration is joining us right now. Hi, her daughter Jillian. Hi, Jillian. Nice to see you. Hey, how old are you, Jillian? Th th what's your doll's name? Jilly Bing. Jilly Bing. Of course, it is. Do you love her? Do you guys have a lot of fun together? What do you do? Do you pay me? You do? Does she take naps with you? Yeah. Yeah. You like to feed her and talk to her? Do you sing to her too, Eleanor? They're so cute together. This is what you wanted, isn't it? When you produce this doll? It does. It is. Can you tell, can you tell us who does Jilly look like she looks like you? Do you love having a doll that looks exactly like you and your friends? Do they all play with dolls that look like this one too? We have gifted chili to many friends so cute. Are you proud of mama for having created this doll? Yeah. Do you want her to create a lot more. Do you think she will ask her? Say mom, are you gonna make more mommy? I reckon I think, you know the answer. Yes. She's our youngest team member, youngest team member. Love that. So, what exactly are your plans? Yeah, we're, we're just getting started. You know, JJ is our very first doll. Our vision is to create a line of dolls and more that really reflect the Asian American experience. So I have a wonderful, you know, product tester here. She's a great product tester. So cute too. Don't go anywhere.

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Eleanor Mack is here in the monitor right now with her daughter Jillian. She is the founder and CEO of Jilly Bing based in San Francisco. She created the line of dolls that you see right here. This is Jillian's favorite Jilly Bing. And you said your son wants one too. Yeah. His name is James and he has been asking over the last few, few months constantly. Where is Jz Bing? Where is my JZ Bing boy doll? So I guess a lot of boy dolls is not coming yet. Not yet, not yet, but you know, it's, it's, it's in the, we have, we have it on paper. Um but we are working to bring more dolls that reflect more of Asian Americans uh to, to the world. And where can people find these dolls? We have video of a lady and her child shopping. Where can people get these dolls? Yeah. As a, as a native New Yorker, you know, I grew up and going to Macy's Herald Square was such a joy and we are so proud to have our jelly dolls being carried at Macy's flagship locations um including this one here in Herald Square. We're in Garden State, we're in Queen Center. Um And a few more your daughter, you said is the exact opposite of what people might think she would be. She describe how she is. Uh She is not demure or dainty. I would say she is feisty funky and her voice is loud. The capital would you say that's the characteristics with the doll too? Yeah. The doll has spunk. She's got energy to her Just like so many little girls we know and love and saying, what do you want people to walk away from this interview? Feeling that they connect to? Yeah. II I think, you know, I hope people will join us um and create the world we want for our Children, right? One in which every little child can walk into a toy store and see a doll that looks like them. Um We're just getting started. I hope people will um you know, come and join me on this, on this journey of bringing more Asian American dolls to the market. And Jillian, I wanna say thank you and bye bye bye. Have fun. So cute.

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Founder and CEO Elenor Mak joined News 12’s Della Crews to discuss Jilly Bing and the inspiration behind their products.

Spotlight New Jersey: Jilly Bing Asian-American dolls and toys

Founder and CEO Elenor Mak joined News 12’s Della Crews to discuss Jilly Bing and the inspiration behind their products.

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