10-year-old Entrepreneur Gianni Graham Using Her Profits to Inspire Other Girls

by BlackBusiness.org 02/21/2017

Almost every little girl wants a Barbie doll, but not all little girls can afford them. It took one creative and inspired little girl to solve this problem by donating Barbie dolls to homeless shelters and other places where girls are not as fortunate. The sweet gesture turned 10-year-old Gianni Graham into an entrepreneur, and she is loving it.

The business of giving

Gianni, from Norfolk, Virginia, refers to other little girls as “dolls” whom she says deserves a doll. Her idea started by giving Barbie dolls to homeless shelters as Christmas presents, but it quickly took on a life of itself, leaving Graham to come up with another idea to increase and sustain her initiative.

Gianni realized she needed some way to pay for all the wrapping paper she was using to wrap Barbie dolls for other girls as gifts, so she decided to make and sell earrings. She makes the earrings from fabric she purchases at craft stores, and the money she gets pays for the wrapping paper.

Adding a personal touch

What is even more amazing about Gianni is that she includes a personal, hand-written note with each Barbie doll she gives away. Since she began her “company,” she has collected and donated almost 5,000 Barbie dolls.

She comments, “The girls that are in the foster homes may think, ‘No one loves me,’ ‘I’m not beautiful,’ ‘I’m not anything,’ But they actually are, and I want them to find that in themselves!”

Watch the video below: